Cymanide - A Simple Act of Faith

  by Dave Goodwin

published: 20 / 12 / 2015

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Cymande have been described as “spiritual… versatile…smooth, sweet and very different.” This is all spot on but what that description misses out is how unique Cymande actually are as well. They have been portrayed as the pioneers of Nyah-Rock, Afro-Rock, even Calypso Rock but whatever they have been labelled as they are pretty damn good. The other wonderful thing about all of this is that Cymande have been in the music business for over forty years, and were originally formed by by Steve Scipio and Patrick Patterson along with nine self-taught Caribbean born, London based musician and singers. The original members were Steve Scipio (bass, vocals), Sam Kelly (drums), Pablo Gonsales (percussion, vocals), Joey Dee, Ray King and Jimmy Lindsay (vocals), Patrick Patterson (guitar, vocals), Mike Rose (sax, flute, percussion), Derek Gibbs (alto sax), Peter Serreo and Desmond Atwell(tenor saxes). Over the years their success has been achieved by the fact that all their music is self-penned and mixes different genres like reggae and Rastafarian rhythms with funk, soul, R&B, jazz, rock, African music and West Indian folk. Quite diverse, I hear you say. And it is. If you are hoping for an album full of funk stompers, then this won’t be for you. Cymande’s emphasis is on a true spirit of togetherness, and this is reflected in the band’s emblem which incorporates a dove symbolizing peace and love. In 1971 the group met John Schroeder, Cymande’s longstanding producer, in a basement club in London’s Soho, where he had gone to audition another act. The rapport was immediate, Schroeder recollects “an atmosphere of electric excitement”, and together they became totally immersed, hour after hour from rehearsal rooms to recording studio, honing their distinctive style. A self-entitled album ‘Cymande’ was released in 1971 after the President of Chess/Janus Records heard some demo tapes, and eventually it became the fastest- selling record on that record label and they toured with Al Green performing at large venues across the states. ‘Second Time Round’ became their second album and Cymande went on to tour with Jerry Butler, Patti LaBelle, Billy Preston, Ramsey Lewis, Edwin Starr, Albert King, KC and the Sunshine Band, Kool and the Gang and the Latin ensemble, Mandrill. They made history by becoming the first British based band to perform at the world renowned Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York, and they recorded their third album in Chicago at the Chess/Janus Studios, where artists such as Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry and the Rolling Stones had previously recorded. But while the band embraced the opportunity and enjoyed the sights and sounds of Chicago, the frantic pace of their meteoric rise in the U.S. finally caught up with them. A third album, ‘Promised Heights’ was released in 1974 through Contempo Records in England, but due to fatigue and stress Cymande stopped performing in 1975. In 2011, they reunited and now have released ‘A Simple Act of Faith’, their fourth album some forty years after the release of ‘Promised Heights’ Highlights are the awesome funk beats of ‘Do It’, which along with ‘Crazy Game’ would both easily find their way onto any Blaxploitation movie had it been in the day. The full five and a half minutes of ‘All or Nothing’ are in this league too, having some great wind solos and a groove to out groove any groove show. ‘No Weeping’ is a ballad and major high point, mainly based around a slowly building up piano. It ends with more funk on ‘Everybody's Doing Alright’, another major groove fest. ‘A Simple Act of Faith’ is full of strong funk grooves as well as some really good mellow reggae cuts, and is testament to their friendship and faith in what they do. It appears on gatefold CD with some stunning artwork. Inside is a booklet with biography and live photos along with some reflections on Cymande by Alan Florence.

Track Listing:-

1 Everybody Turn Rasta
2 Do It (This Time with Feeling)
3 Crazy Game
4 Sea of Tears
5 All or Nothing
6 No Weeping
7 God's Highway
8 A Moment for Reflection
9 A Simple Act of Faith
10 Everybody's Doing Alright

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/Cymande-747567045294830/
http://www.cymandeofficial.com/
https://twitter.com/CymandeOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/cymandeofficial/
https://www.youtube.com/user/cymandeofficial
https://plus.google.com/113753410051243492148

Label Links:-

http://www.cherryred.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/CherryRedRecords
https://twitter.com/cherryredgroup
https://www.youtube.com/CherryRedRecords

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