Cymande

Time always tells – thank goodness! Cymande (pronounced /sɪˈmɑːndeɪ/ sih-MAHN-day) was unfortunately short-lived in the ‘70s, but they did leave a legacy. Indeed, in the short time that they existed (1971-1974) they released three unadulterated funk classics – Cymande, Second Time Around and Promised Heights – that still haven’t lost a shred of immediacy a half century later.

Their influence is undeniable and Cymande has been described as “one of the most revered and sampled bands to have ever cropped up across the history of hip hop, house, and dance music”. Think: DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, De La Soul, Wu-Tang Clan, Gang Starr, The Coup, The Sugarhill Gang, Fatboy Slim and The Fugees who have all sampled Cymande’s work like crazy.

Cymande has also previously been described as “the greatest band you’ve never heard of”, but that will no doubt soon change. The spring of 2024 will see the release of the documentary Getting It Back: The Story Of Cymande – which includes interviews with Mark Ronson, Khruangbin, DJ Maseo (De La Soul), Jazzie B (Soul II Soul), Cut Chemist, Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Louie Vega, Kool DJ Red Alert, … – that will put the band back on the map. Getting It Back is the tale of a band of black musicians that headed to England from the Caribbean, but mainly found success in the US. In the UK the band remained under the radar, as “they faced a music business beset by prejudice against home grown black talent”.