Cymande

British funk band

Cymande (pronounced /s//ɪ/'/m//ɑː//n//d//eɪ/ sihMAHNday) are a British funk group that was originally active in the early 1970s. The band name derives from a calypso word for "dove", which symbolises peace and love; "Dove" is also the title of one of their best known songs. With a membership deriving from several Caribbean nations, Cymande were noted for an eclectic mix of funk, soul, reggae, rock, African music, calypso, and jazz that they called "nyah rock". The band formed in 1971 and released three albums before disbanding in 1974. After gaining newfound popularity when their music was sampled by many notable rap artists, Cymande reformed in the 2010s.

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. Cymande variously had either eight or nine members in their 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. 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. and they also performed on Soul Train. However, they achieved little notice in their home country. The album Second Time Round, featuring newly politicized lyrics, was released in 1973, and their third album, Promised Heights, was released in 1974. A lack of notice from the British music industry caused the group to break up in 1974.

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. An unauthorized sample of "Dove" by The Fugees resulted in a lucrative copyright infringement settlement for Scipio and Patterson. 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. 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. In 2016 the group completed a short tour of the United States, where it had not played since 1973. In an interview on BBC Radio 6 Music in July 2023, Scipio and Patterson referred to the fact they both live in Anguilla. In 2022, a documentary film about their story was released, titled Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande, which was later released in February 2024 on a wider cinema release and shortly after on Blu ray.