Cymande

Cymande was formed by bassist Steve Scipio and guitarist Patrick Patterson in London, England in 1971. Scipio and Patterson had previously played together in a jazz fusion group called Metre, in which they picked up additional influences from British-Nigerian percussionist Ginger Johnson.[5][7] Cymande variously had either eight or nine members in its original incarnation, and also included singer/percussionist Ray King, saxophonist Derek Gibbs, conga player Pablo Gonsales, singer/percussionist Joey Dee, saxophonist Peter Serreo, drummer Sam Kelly, and flautist/percussionist Mike Rose.[6] All were members of the Afro-Caribbean diaspora community in London, originating in nations including Guyana, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent.[6]

Cymande was discovered by British R&B producer John Schroeder while they played in a basement club in Soho in 1971. Schroeder recorded some demos and convinced Janus Records to sign the group.[5] Their first single, "The Message", reached the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B charts in the United States.[6] Their self-titled debut album was released in 1972 and also reached the Billboard pop and R&B albums charts in the United States.[8] During this period the group toured the United States successfully; their wide-ranging sound was illustrated by invitations to tour with soul singer Al Green, funk-rock band Mandrill, and jazz musician Ramsey Lewis.[3]

In 1973 they made history as the first British band to headline the Apollo Theater in New York,[9] and they also performed on Soul Train.[10] However, they achieved little notice in their home country. The album Second Time Round, featuring newly politicized lyrics, was released in 1973,[11] and their third album, Promised Heights, was released in 1974.[12] A lack of notice from the British music industry caused the group to break up in 1974.[3] A fourth album, titled Arrival, was recorded during this period but was not released until 1981.[13]

After a period of obscurity, Cymande's music was rediscovered in the 1980s and 1990s. Some of their songs were deconstructed and used as breakbeats by early hip-hop DJs Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash.[5] The British rare groove scene of the 1980s was openly influenced by Cymande.[9] By the late 1980s they were being sampled regularly by rap artists, starting with De La Soul on their 3 Feet High and Rising album, plus EPMD, The KLF, MC Solaar, Heavy D, and many others.[14] An unauthorized sample of "Dove" by The Fugees resulted in a lucrative copyright infringement settlement for Scipio and Patterson.[14] Additional recognition arrived in 1994 when Spike Lee used the Cymande song "Bra" in his film Crooklyn; Lee used the same song in his 2002 film 25th Hour.[15]

Thanks to ongoing recognition of their early 1970s original works by more modern fans, Cymande reformed with most of its original members for a one-off show in 2006.[15] A fuller reunion commenced in 2012.[6] Their original producer John Schroeder was brought back as well, and plans were announced for a new album.[7] The group completed several one-off shows in the next few years,[16] with all nine original members eventually contributing at various times, alongside some new sidemen. Cymande released A Simple Act of Faith in 2015 – the band's first new album in 41 years.[17] In 2016 the group completed a short tour of the United States, where it had not played since 1973.[3]

Early member Trevor White died on 5 November 2020 and original member Pablo Gonsales died in Jamaica on 2 December 2020.[18] In an interview on BBC Radio 6 Music in July 2023, Scipio and Patterson referred to the fact they both live in Anguilla.

• Ray King (vocals, percussion)
• Steve Scipio (bass)
• Patrick Patterson (guitar)
• Derek Gibbs (saxophone)
• Pablo Gonsales (congas)
• Sam Kelly (drums)
• Joey Dee (vocals, percussion)
• Peter Serreo (saxophone)
• Mike "Bami" Rose (woodwinds, percussion)

• Desmond Atwell (saxophone)
• George Kelly (percussion)
• Jimmy Lindsay (vocals, percussion)
• Trevor White (vocals, bass, percussion)

• Steve Scipio (bass, vocals)
• Patrick Patterson (guitar, vocals)
• Derrick Gibbs (alto sax, percussion)
• Pablo Gonsales (percussion, vocals)
• Sam Kelly (drums)
• Desmond Atwell (alto sax)
• Ray Carless (tenor sax)
• Adrian Reid (keyboards, vocals)
• Raymond Simpson (lead vocals)

• Cymande (1972)
• Second Time Round (1973)
• Promised Heights (1974)
• Arrival (1981)
• A Simple Act of Faith (2015)

• The Best of Cymande (1991)
• The Message (1999)
• The Soul of Rasta (2000)
• Nyah-Rock (2003)
• Renegades of Funk (2005)