Cymande
May 31st, 2007 by rui
Cymande are 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, but 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 De La Soul.
Members of the band reunited for a performance in Brighton (UK) on May 19, 2006 during a UK Funk All-Stars night in 2006, and their performance at Eastnor is a rare treat.
Cymande 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
