1972
Cymande:
A Gem of 70s Funk
This post is about Cymande, the band formed in London in the early 70s. Nine, self-taught Caribbean musicians blending funk, reggae, soul, and calypso to create a sound unlike any other. Their self-titled album in 1972 is a masterpiece in the funk genre.
Not feeling like reading? That's alright! 😎 Here is “Dove.” 🔊
During my deep dive into the 70s funk scene, one band kept popping up, for especially two reasons: due to their eclectic sound in the 70s and their comeback in recent years with a documentary dedicated to their story.
Cymande – a true gem. 💎
The story begins in early 70s London. A collective of talented musicians - nine self-taught, Caribbean born, London based musician/singers, Cymande creates music that defies easy categorization.
Steve Scipio (bass and vocals) and Patrick Patterson (guitar and vocals) are founding members of Cymande. They are both from jazz backgrounds, and their early focus is on playing jazz - especially influenced by the work of Miles Davis from the late 1960s. Again, perhaps reflective of the time, Dave Brubeck is another influence for their experimentation with time signatures. Mixed with Patterson’s love of Hendrix, the duo (then in a quartet called Metre) make joyful noise on the Brit jazz circuit.
In 71, Scipio and Patterson form Cymande and they fuse funk grooves with Afrobeat, jazz, soul, reggae, and calypso rhythms, creating the distinctive "Cymande sound." 🕊️
Still in 71 and they are at Soho, rehearsing and improvising & enters John Schroeder into the picture – a prominent figure in the British music industry.
My meeting with CYMANDE was purely chance caused by confusion of dates, for on the afternoon of 18th October 1971 in the basement of a club in Soho, London, I was due to see another group. The band were rehearsing, or rather what they termed as rehearsing was a troup of friends specially brought for the occasion and which seemed to increase as the afternoon went on shouting, chanting and jumping about like there was no tomorrow and this I later discovered was how it was everywhere the band played. I found myself caught up in an atmosphere of electric excitement and my brain pummelled with music and rhythms which had an incessant infectiousness.
Acclaimed for his production and arranging skills, Schroeder sees the potential in Cymande's distinct sound and works to make them more widely known. He signs them to Janus Records and Cymande first releases their single “The Message” and following it, their self-titled debut album in 1972.
“The Message” backed by “Zion 1” becomes so successful in the US that they tour with Al Green (soul and R&B superstar at the time) that very same year (They would go on to tour with Mandrill, Patti LaBelle, KC and The Sunshine Band, Kool & the Gang and likes, and become the first British band to perform at the Apollo Theatre and also the Soul Train).
The 1972-released "Cymande" album is much more than a debut; it is a landmark achievement in the funk genre. The album features strong percussion, soulful vocals, and tight grooves that highlight the band's skillful blending of influences.
🕊️ "Dove" is the one song perfectly embodying the group's ability to captivate the audience. "The Message," showcases the interplay between reggae rhythms but also injects a dose of irresistible funk. "Getting It Back" has a classic 70s funk vibe that is alive and vibrant.
This album is an adventurous and joyful listen, exciting, even danceable but still emotional –with all the rhythmic energy in its soul. I adore majority of the album – still, "Dove" is my all-time favorite. It has this cooling, peaceful effect on you, starts slowly and picks up steam and keeps the beat going for 10+ minutes straight, without ever boring you.
Gülben - 03/2024
🎥 Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande
