Cymande
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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 1970s. By the mid-70s 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 aficionados. Perhaps the band's best known recording is the soulful dancefloor groove "Bra", later sampled by the American hip-hop group De La Soul.
Members of the band reunited for a performance in Brighton (UK) on May 19, 2006 during the UK Funk All-Stars night at the Corn Exchange. It formed part of the Brighton Festival 2006.
Contents |
[edit] Members
- Ray King - Vocals/Percussion
- Steve Scipio - Bass
- Derek Gibbs - Soprano/Alto
- Pablo Gonsales - Congas
- Joey Dee - Vocals/Percussion
- Peter Serreo - Tenor
- Sam Kelly - Drums
- Mike Rose - Alto/Flute/Bongos
- Patrick Patterson - Guitar
[edit] Music
[edit] Discography
- 1973 - Cymande
- 1973 - Second Time Around
- 1974 - Promised Heights
[edit] Miscellaneous
- “Bra” is featured on the soundtrack to Spike Lee's 1993 film Crooklyn. “Bra”, “Dove”, & “The Message” can be heard in his 2002 film 25th Hour.
- The Fugees sampled Cymande's "Dove" for their song "The Score".