3 Togetherness Tracks To Add To Your Playlist

Three Togetherness Tracks To Add To Your Playlist

Craig Sadler

As a universal language, music unites people across cultures and can comfort people in times of need and sadness. 

1.Love Is the Message – Yussef Dayes X Alfa Mist

All individual elements of this track come together beautifully to produce an 11-minute filmed live performance at Abbey Road Studios. With no lyrics to sing your heart out to, this piece of music takes you on a euphoric instrumental journey…

I’m choosing the live version of this track as it perfectly visualises the importance of each musician. Yussef Dayes leading the ship with his electrifying drumming, Alfa Mist composing the vibes and gluing it together, Mansur Brown illuminating with his solo sounds that make your jaw drop and Rocco Palladino laying down the smooth yet funkadelic bass lines. It’s almost as if the track moves forward in time and perfectly illustrates the importance of taking risks with sound – making it a perfect amplifier for togetherness.

2. Why Can’t We Be Friends - WAR

The title track of this album, ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?’, was a US top 10 hit in 1975. Although written after a brawl broke out at a festival the band were playing at in Japan, they turned it into beautiful tale blending post-break-up reconciliation with a plea for racial harmony. All wrapped in a tasty, reggae-fied summertime groove with an infectious chorus, you know the one! 

“Why can’t we be friends?

Why can’t we be friends?”

Each verse was sung by a different member of the band, this song makes a statement about the absurdity of judging others based on our differences. We are all human and need each other more than we realise, especially during hard times.

WAR’s drummer, Harold Brown, explains his philosophy of the track: “‘We Are Righteous’, that’s what WAR stood for. It was trying to bring everyone together through our music.”

I was first introduced to WAR during my teen years. I spent god knows how many hours each day on my PlayStation 3 - virtually popping big ollies with my cousin on the EA game, Skate 2. The soundtrack makes me feel very nostalgic and reminds me of a simpler time. Lowrider by WAR was a standout on the soundtrack and happens to appear on the same album as ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?’.

3. TOGETHER – KAYTRANDA

Time for a dance track - and who better than KAYTRANADA.

Born in Haiti and raised in the city of Montreal, KAYTRANADA started off as a remixer, reworking old tracks and uploading them on SoundCloud back in the 2010’s. He made his name with an unofficial remix of Janet Jackson’s ‘If’ – And it was with this exact remix that my love for KAYTRANADA started.

TOGETHER is the fourth track on KAYTRANDA’S critically acclaimed debut album, 99.9%. Whether you’re at home chilling or out with mates, putting this track on will get you out of your head (in a good way). The pairing of AlunaGeorge’s soft vocals and Goldlink’s rhymes together in this track makes for a juxtaposition that reflects their story of a relationship seeking harmony. What we are left with is a highly refined dance record that infuses modern dance music, funk and hip-hop.