Cymande

Cymande on vinyl: London funk with a Caribbean soul

In short: Cymande were founded in London in 1971 by musicians with roots in the Caribbean. Their music mixes funk, soul, jazz and reggae with Rastafarian drumming – barely noticed in Britain, a success in the US. Later DJs and hip-hop producers rediscovered their grooves. The Vinyl Room currently has 6 Cymande records.

What makes Cymande special?

Long grooves, warm horns, bass and percussion that lock into each other – Cymande sound like London and the Caribbean at once. “The Message” became a US hit in 1972; on “Second Time Round” and “Promised Heights” the sound grows more spiritual and jazzy.

“Bra” was already played at early hip-hop parties in the Bronx and was later sampled often, for example by De La Soul. In our stock it’s on a Paul Winley Records release, together with “I Believe In The Wheel Of Fortune” by Tanya “Paulette” Winley. Plus the “Renegades Of Funk EP”.

From our stock

First pressings

Records by Cymande

→ Janus Records · Paul Winley Records · De La Soul · Funk

FAQ

Where do Cymande come from? From London; the musicians have roots in the Caribbean.

What does the name Cymande mean? It goes back to a calypso word for “dove”.

Why is “Bra” so popular with DJs? Because of its groove, which was already played in early hip-hop and was later sampled often.

Which records do you have? Mostly records from the seventies – 6 records in all.