Cymande Cymande

In 1972, with the release of their self-titled debut album, Cymande emerged as innovators of the Black British music scene. Taking influences from their Guyanese and Jamaican roots, the band fused reggae bass lines, Afro-tinged Nyabinghi percussion, psychedelic touches, and American style funk instrumentation into a unique sound they’ve since dubbed as “Nyah-rock.” Cymande’s massive influence can be heard in the dozens and dozens of samples taken from their albums over the last four decades, from pioneering DJs like DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash, to De La Soul, The Wu-Tang Clan, Gang Starr, The Coup, Sugar Hill Gang, Norman Cook/Fatboy Slim and The Fugees -- to name a few. They stand today as one of the most revered and sampled bands to have ever cropped up across the history of Hip Hop, House, and Dance.Originally released in 1972, ‘Cymande’ has been heralded as the best Brit funk album of all time, boasting perhaps their best-known funk anthem “The Message,” as well as the oft-sampled tracks “Bra” and “Dove.”