For a band you may well not have heard of, the influence of Cymande is extraordinary. They are considered by some to be the godfathers of hip-hop. Musical sampling from their eponymous 1972 debut album is the throughline that connects De La Soul, Wu-Tang Clan, the Fugees and MC Solaar’s “Bouge de là”, the standout track on one of France’s first hip-hop albums. But when they disbanded in 1975 after failing to find commercial success in the UK, this would have seemed impossible. It took another 37 years for the diasporic musicians (who came to Britain from the Caribbean as part of the Windrush Generation) to regroup, and they have spent the last 13 cementing their reputation as the funk band history nearly forgot.
The nine-man line-up emerged on stage to thunderous applause at Brixton’s 02 Academy, and embarked on a 90-minute show that blended their back catalogue with newer tracks. Among the old favourites were “Dove”, a sprawling, immersive song that pulled the audience in with a hypnotic bass before enveloping us in its psychedelic melody, and the Caribbean-informed “Bra”, which layered bongos over more conventional funk drums. A highlight from the group’s more recent work was “Coltrane”, a jazz-inflected track that is an explicit reference to one of their many creative influences. It’s also a testament to the melange of styles that make up Cymande’s discography: rock, funk, soul, calypso, reggae, jazz, all thrown out from the musical centrifuge having been fused with the band’s unique sonic identity of pan-African psychedelic funk.
In a music business that insists on variation and distinction – Taylor Swift and her so-called eras; Dua Lipa changing her hair colour with each album – there is a refreshing steadfastness to the consistency of Cymande, and a certain timelessness to their music. They are a band who know the pain of being involved in a capricious industry, but they are now revelling in a moment of unfettered bliss. Cymande’s story has been one of survival; it is glorious to see them, at long last, take centre stage.
[Further reading: Thatcher-land]
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This article appears in the 23 Oct 2025 issue of the New Statesman, Doom Loop