Cymande Tickets

The celebrated British funk group, Cymande, are back in business. The seventies legends recently reformed after a long hiatus, and they are playing live shows again, much to the delight of legions of fans. The calypso-infused soul rhythms that they bring to the stage are definitely not accidental. Cymande tickets are a must for fans of African, jazz and funk music.

Schedule

Cymande are heading back home to the UK on the latest lap of their comeback tours. Having previously thrilled fans in Paris and Dublin, the band are planning two homecoming gigs at London's The Barbican and Band At The Wall in Manchester. Cymande are due to play at the Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul festival in Birmingham, after which they travel to Lulworth Castle in Dorset for Camp Bestival. The band are also due to take in the famous Bestival Festival before the end of the tour.

Trivia

Cymande were famously discovered by accident when they stepped in for a cancelled act. They played the legendary Apollo Theatre while touring New York in 1973 and described the venue as being the highlight of their early career. American film director Spike Lee is a huge fan of the band. He included their hit single "Bra" on the soundtrack to his 1994 film Crooklyn and used "The Message" and "Dove" for 25th Hour in 2002.

Band/Singer

The core members of the current Cymande line-up are also founding members from the early seventies. Bassist Steve Scipio has taken over main vocals duty from the departed Ray King, while Patrick Patterson (guitar), Sam Kelly (drums), Pablo Gonzales (percussion) and saxophonists Derrick Gibbs and Mike Rose will also tour. The band has slimmed considerably from their seventies incarnation, losing original instrumentalists George Kelly, Jimmy Lindsay, Trevor White, Peter Serreo, Joey Dee and Desmond Atwell.

Breakthrough

Although Cymande were popular in the early seventies following the release of their eponymous debut album, they found themselves constrained to a funk and soul audience. Their final album failed to gain a release in the U.S. Cymande's music reached a whole new audience when hip-hop acts began to sample their hits in the late eighties and early nineties. Their biggest hit, "Bra," was sampled by De La Soul on their seminal album 3 Feet High And Rising. The popular game. Grand Theft Auto. brought Cymande to the attention of console users by sampling "The Message." Cymande had gained a new, younger audience in time for their comeback shows in early 2010.

Hit Albums

Cymande's self-titled debut album brought them widespread acclaim amongst music fans and critics alike. Their second and third followed quickly and were also successful, but Cymande are largely known for their hit singles rather than long players. "Bra," "Brothers On The Slide," "The Message" and "Dove" were all hits in their own right and were later used on film soundtracks or sampled for nineties hip-hop tracks.

Show Experience

Cymande can always be relied upon to put on a gig that fully involves the audience, with the band dancing along with the fans for the majority of the gig. When they played Paris during their first tour in forty years, the audience reaction was described by the band as "magnifique." Video footage of the gig on Youtube is testament to the funky vibes and the floor-filling tunes which Cymande have made their hallmark.