Cymande

Cymande

Cymande were an eclectic band who released several albums throughout the early seventies. They arrived in London, England from Guyana and Jamaica and developed a subtle, deep funk style heavily influenced by Calypso rhythms, jazz, African music, and American soul. Cymande can now be seen as one of the most sophisticated of the heavy funk acts that evolved in the early 1970’s. By the mid-seventies the band members were going their separate ways. It wasn’t until 20 years later that they reaped any financial rewards, as their music became a popular source for samplers. Cymande’s original albums are still widely sought-after by DJ’s and funk afficionados. Perhaps the band’s best known recording is the soulful dancefloor groove “Bra”, later sampled by the American hip-hop group De La Soul. Cymande was accidentally discovered by English producer John Schroeder in a Soho, London club where they were rehearsing. He was there to see a rock band. But the gig had been cancelled and he stumbled upon this unique collection of West Indian musicians. He soon signed the band and recorded their intial single “The Message.” The single was released by Janus Records, a division of Chess Records. The track reached number 20 on the US R&B and Pop charts. This set the stage for Cymande’s self titled release in 1972.

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