Partisan Records is releasing today a remastered reissue of “Cymande,” the essential debut album from the band of the same name. After the original launch in 1972, Cymande emerged as innovators of the black British music scene. Their sound was grounded in their Guyanese and Jamaican roots, featuring a mix of reggae bass lines, Afro-tinged Nyabinghi percussion, psychedelic elements, and American-style funk. Their style is called “Nyah-rock.” While they were welcomed in the United States, back in the UK they were largely ignored and soon forgotten by a music business obsessed with ephemeral fads and characterized by prejudice against homegrown black talent.
Cymande disbanded in 1975 after releasing three albums in quick succession, but their music lived on as successive generations of artists and fans found and embraced their songs. Their far-reaching influence can be heard in the countless samples taken from their music over the last four decades, from pioneering DJs like DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash, to De La Soul, Wu-Tang Clan, Gang Starr, EPMD, Sugar Hill Gang, Fatboy Slim, and The Fugees – to name a few. They stand today as one of the most revered and sampled bands in the history of hip-hop, house and dance.
This special reissue of Cymande’s seminal debut comes newly remastered at Abbey Road Studios and available for the very first time on translucent, orange crush vinyl. Cymande features several of the band’s best known – and oft-sampled – classics like ‘Dove’, ‘The Message’ and more. The release is available to order online from tomorrow, Dec. 16th, and available in-stores physically Jan. 13th.
This year Cymande were also the subject of an acclaimed documentary titled Getting It Back: The Story Of Cymande, which had its World Premiere screening at SXSW. Getting It Back was directed by Tim Mackenzie-Smith and features interviews with a galaxy of musicians and producers influenced and enthralled by their music, including Mark Ronson, Jim James, Kool DJ Red Alert, DJ Maseo and Louie Vega. The documentary has since screened around the world, including airings at London Film Festival, Musical Ecran in France, Sound Unseen in Minneapolis, Oaxaca Film Fest in Mexico and multiple sold-out performances at EMC Festival in Sydney. It will also be screening on Feb 25th, 2023 at Everything UK Festival in Belgium.
Cymande are currently at work on a brand-new album and planning a tour in 2023.
Buy Cymande
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central