Astral People and WAT Artists proudly present the long overdue, Australian debut of one of the most revolutionary and unsung forces in music – Cymande (UK).
They’re the band you don’t know you know – a bedrock of hip hop and dance culture. To put it simply, Cymande rewrote the rules of black music.
The funk trailblazers behind joints like ‘Bra’, ‘The Message’, ‘Dove’ and ‘Brothers On The Slide’, forged a captivating new sound reflecting the black-British music experience – a sound that would spread across the planet and inform the musical stylings of the now.
Retrospectively dubbed “London’s greatest funk band” by Rolling Stone,Cymande’s far-reaching influence is profound in-spite of having been largely ignored and soon forgotten by a music industry beset by prejudice against homegrown black talent.
Too buoyant to remain dormant, their fairy tale story defies the odds and affirms the magic in their music.
For the first time ever in their 50 year spanning journey, celebrate one of the greatest bands to do it as they light up headline shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, along with some very special features at Golden Plains and Perth Festival. A rare treat – experience the message for all its beauty!
Who is Cymande?
Formed in London in the early 1970s at a time when British soul was obsessed with and heavily influenced by American artists, Cymande ploughed their own unique furrow. Daring and innovative, the band took influences from their Guyanese and Jamaican roots, fusing reggae bass lines, Afro-tinged Nyabinghi percussion, psychedelic touches and American-style funk into a unique blender they coined as “Nyah-rock.” Hippy and Rasta stances existed in rock and reggae, but Cymandewere the first to bring them to soul.
Three wonderfully creative albums reshaped music’s potential and were embraced by the US. Cymande were the first British group to headline the acclaimed Apollo Theatre in New York, tour with Al Green, Ramsey Lewis and Mandrill, call the esteemed Blue Note home, and land a coveted spot on Soul Train. However, with barely any support in their home of the UK, the band dissolved in 1975.
Fortunately the power of their sound spoke much louder than the institutional obstacles they were presented with. Cymande’s music lives on as successive generations of new fans would discover their songs through the emergence of NYC’s disco and hip hop and the UK’s rare groove scenes.
Cymande became the underlying bedrock of a new generation’s favourite music. They found new life through the power of samples, first through the likes of Grandmaster Flash and Jazzy Jay extending their funky breaks at block parties or Nicky Siano or Norman Jay MBE riding their distinct grooves in the disco. Later their music would be immortalised as the likes of De La Soul, Wu Tang Clan, The Fugees, Gang Starr, Fatboy Slim and an endless list of modern day icons would flip their songs for new creations.
The band’s powerful discography has become essential for any crate digger. Cymande are also commonly recognised as the blueprint for the distinct melting-pot of culture and sound found within British music from Soul II Soul to Mark Ronson to Kokoroko, Ezra Collective and Greentea Peng.
With this upcoming flurry of activity, Cymande will be on tour in support of the film all during 2024. Many more countries and cities will be announced in the coming months. The band continues to reach new audiences and are being embraced by yet another breed of fan – the generations who weren’t even born when the band originally split up.
Ticket Details
This event is 18+. Do not attend if you are feeling unwell. Photo ID is essential, acceptable ID is a current and valid Australian Photo Drivers Licence, State Approved ‘Proof of Age’ card or Passport.
We acknowledge that this event is held on the stolen lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.
