Cymande

The Profile

Cymande are a British funk group formed in London in 1971 by bassist Steve Scipio and guitarist Patrick Patterson. Featuring members of Caribbean heritage, they fused funk, soul, reggae, and jazz into cult classics like Bra, The Message, and Dove; disbanded in the mid-1970s; and reformed in 2014 to tour and release new music.

Formed in London in 1971 by Steve Scipio and Patrick Patterson; members hail from the Caribbean diaspora. Best known for the tracks Bra, The Message, Dove, and Brothers on the Slide, widely sampled in hip‑hop. Original run ended in 1974; the group reunited in 2014 and released A Simple Act of Faith (2015) and later Renascence. Their story is documented in the film Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande (2022).

Two reviews chart Cymande’s arc from their 1972 psych-funk debut—blending jazz, reggae, and soul—to a spirited return with Renascence. One celebrates their lysergic groove and genre fusion; the other hails Renascence for elegant arrangements, storming percussion, and ecstatic horns. Tracks like Coltrane, Chasing An Empty Dream, Sweeden, How We Roll, and Only One Way (feat. Celeste) are highlighted.