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Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande
The incredible story of a band you may never have heard of but whose sound has influenced generations with their irresistible rhythms and message of peace.
Director: Tim MacKenzie-Smith
Overview
Most people will think they don’t know Cymande. But anyone who has listened to the Fugees, De La Soul or the Wu-Tang Clan, or who has simply been on a dance floor, will recognise their irresistible, infectious funk music. In the racially turbulent UK of the early 70s, a group of black musicians assembled with a common love of rhythms and a message of peace. Cymande – with the dove as their symbol – combined jazz, funk, soul and Caribbean grooves to form a unique sound. Despite success in the United States, they faced indifference in their native Britain, becoming disillusioned and disbanding in 1975. But the music lived on, as new generations of artists imbibed and reworked their pioneering sounds in fresh ways. From Soul II Soul to MC Solaar and beyond, the Dove had spread Cymande's message far and wide, prompting their return after forty years. This is their story.
racism, real violenceRelated
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
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