Psychedelic funk pioneers, Cymande will make their live debut in Australia next year, 50-plus years since they reshaped the music landscape.
Set to play Golden Plains Festival, the British band will also headline concerts in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne next March.Formed in 1971, Cymande fused funk with soul, reggae, rock, African music, calypso, and jazz that they called 'nyah-rock', releasing three ground-breaking records in the early '70s.
'Cymande' (1972), 'Second Time Round' (1973) and 'Promised Heights' (1974) birthed such classics as 'Bra', 'The Message', 'Brothers On The Slide', and 'Dove'.
Despite being the first British group to headline the acclaimed Apollo Theatre in New York, tour with Al Green and call the coveted Blue Note home, Cymande would break-up in 1974 after failing to gain any traction with British audiences.
They would release their fourth album (originally recorded during their initial run) 'Arrival' in 1981. After reforming in 2012, Cymande released their fifth record 'A Simple Act Of Faith' in 2015.
The band's popularity sprung back to life in the '80s and '90s when hip hop acts like De La Soul, The Fugees, Gang Starr and many more sampled Cymande's catalogue.
Their legacy continues today with the likes of Gilles Peterson, Mark Ronson, Queen Latifa and Masta Ace super fans. While a new generation discover their music via KCRW sessions, Bandcamp profiles, and Late Night Tales compilation features. While more recently a documentary 'Getting It Back' premiered at SXSW.
Tickets on sale from 11am (local time) on 27 October.
Cymande 2024 Tour Dates
Thu 29 Feb - Perth Festival (Boorloo / Perth)Sat 2 Mar - The Princess Theatre (Meanjin / Brisbane)
Mon 4 Mar - Liberty Hall (Eora / Sydney)
Tue 5 Mar - Northcote Theatre (Naarm / Melbourne)
Sun 10 Mar - Golden Plains Festival (Wadawurrung / Meredith)
