British funk group Cymande, who stopped performing in 1974 but reunited nearly four decades later, are enjoying a late period of productivity – with hotly anticipated new studio album ‘Renascence’ out on Friday, fresh live dates booked and a scheduled TV broadcast of their 2022 documentary Getting Back: The Story Of Cymande.
Cymande formed in Brixton and Balham, south London, during the early 1970s and were largely ignored by the UK music industry but enjoyed significant success in the US, supporting Al Green and becoming the first British band to headline New York’s historic Apollo Theater. They disbanded after three albums but were influential among early hip-hop and rap groups. Grandmaster Flash, De La Soul, The Fugees and more artists sampled Cymande’s biggest hits (such as 1972 single ‘The Message’) and ensured their music remained popular into the 21st century. In 2006, they reformed for a one-off gig before a fuller reunion began in 2012.
At a screening on Tuesday night (January 28), held at Brixton’s Ritzy cinema, guitarist Patrick Patterson said: “The last few months have been great. We’ve been doing a lot of promotion for the new album… The reviews have been wonderful and we recently appeared on Later… With Jools Holland, about a month and a half back. That was the first time Cymande had appeared on English TV. It’s really very rewarding [to be appreciated] after such a long journey.”
Cymande’s latest lineup. CREDIT: Dean Chalkley
“With younger people now being interested in our music it gives us vindication,” added bassist Steve Scipio. “It’s fantastic to be recognised, better late than never. We appreciate and give a lot of thanks to the rappers, samplers, the hip-hoppers and all those people who saw something in our music.”
The new album features several high-profile collaborators, including Soul II Soul legend Jazzie B and BRIT Award-winning singer Celeste, whose debut album ‘Not Your Muse’ topped the UK charts in 2021. They appear on R&B-flavoured jam ‘That’s How We Roll’ and piano-led ballad ‘Only One Way’, respectively.
Patterson called Celeste “a real wicked, absolutely wonderful talent” and described the “privilege” of working with acclaimed Black British musicians. “Black music in our day was badly overlooked,” he said. “The industry in this country had little time for Black music and less time for Black musicians. And the joy of being able to do what we’ve done recently is to join with some wonderful musicians in representing Black music and Black musicianship at this moment.”
Getting Back: The Story Of Cymande, directed by Tim Mackenzie-Smith, was first shown in 2022 before a wider cinema release in February last year. It tells the band’s story from immigrant origins amid a hostile British public through their long dormant period to triumphant comeback. During the Q&A at the Ritzy, Mackenzie-Smith confirmed that a deal had recently been struck with the BBC to broadcast Cymande’s story to an broader audience in the near future.
“This film is the most important thing I’ve done in my career by a mile,” Mackenzie-Smith said. “It had a really personal meaning to me because I’ve been a fan since the ‘90s – I first heard them on a mixtape. So, you know, to be sat here in 2025, knowing that the band is gonna be going out to an even bigger audience through the album, through the documentary being on the BBC, it’s exciting.”
Cymande begin a US tour in February before returning to London for a homecoming gig at O2 Academy Brixton on October 17.
Cymande’s 2025 UK and US tour dates are:
FEBRUARY
13 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza
14 – Philadelphia, PA – Ardmore Music Hall
15 – Washington DC – Howard Theatre
18 – Chicago, IL – Metro
19 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theatre
21 – Denver, CO – Bluebird
22 – Seattle, WA – Crocodile
23 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater
26 – San Francisco, CA – August Hall
28 – Los Angeles, CA – The Bellwether
MAY
25 – London, UK – Cross The Tracks Festival
OCTOBER
17 – London, UK – O2 Academy Brixton
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