GETTING IT BACK: THE STORY OF CYMANDE lovingly recounts the journey of Cymande, a group of Black British musicians who all came to the U.K. from the Caribbean as children, released three brilliant albums in quick succession in the early 1970s and were embraced in the USA. But in the U.K., they faced a music business beset by prejudice against homegrown Black talent and were largely ignored. They originally split in 1975, but their music lived on, as successive generations of artists and fans found and embraced their songs. Hip Hop, House, Drum and Bass, R&B, Rare Groove, and crate-digging communities all saw something in the songs of Cymande that inspired them. Through insightful interviews with band members and influential figures including Mark Ronson, Laura Lee and Mark Speer (Khruangbin), DJ Maseo (De La Soul), Jazzie B (Soul II Soul), Cut Chemist, Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Louie Vega, and Kool DJ Red Alert, this stranger than fiction documentary explores the band’s profound impact and enduring legacy. Director Tim MacKenzie-Smith stops by to talk about his own introduction to the music of Cymande, designing the look and feel of the film to seen as a big screen communal experience, how the band members kept each others hope, music and spirit alive over the years, and the joy of seeing the band and their music get the recognition it deserves.

Download MP3 Podcast | Open Player in New Window

For more go to: cymandeofficial.com/film

About the filmmaker – Director / Producer Tim Mackenzie-Smith is an award-winning British filmmaker known primarily for sports documentaries, such as Keane & Vieira: Best Of Enemies, The Mavericks, Rooney: The Man Behind The Goals and The Trilogy: Fury v Wilder. A passionate Cymande fan, he has spent the last five years working on this film and is proud to bring their story to the world.

Cymande – In the racially turbulent UK of the early 70s, a group of black musicians came together in South London 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 USA they faced indifference in their native Britain, becoming disillusioned and disbanding. But the music lived on, as new generations of artists imbibed and reworked their pioneering sounds in fresh ways. From Soul II Soul to De La Soul, MC Solaar to The Fugees, the Dove had spread Cymande’s message far and wide, prompting their return after forty years. This is the story of guitarist Patrick Patterson, bass player Steve Scipio, drummer Sam Kelly, percussionist Pablo Gonsales, saxophonist Derrick Gibbs and flutist Mike ‘Bammi” Rose.

SOCIAL MEDIA

facebook.com/CymandeOnline

facebook.com/tim.mackenziesmith

x.com/CymandeOfficial

x.com/kennaTV

instagram.com/cymandeofficial

instagram.com/deadpankenna

#cymande 

#gettingitbackthestoryofcymande 

#gettingitback

Reviews:

“Above all else it shows how timeless their music is and it is hard to believe some of their music is over 50 years old, if nothing else the film will likely introduce them to a host of new fans across the generations.” – Christopher Connor, Flickering Myth

“This documentary is an education and a good-news story about the remarkable 70s British funk band Cymande (the word is a calypso term for “dove”) who should be as big as Earth Wind & Fire, but aren’t.” – Peter Bradshaw, Guardian

“The most striking moments of the film, however, remain the testimonies of the band members themselves: it is hard not to be moved seeing them interviewed now about their work, and celebrated by legions of fans of all ages.” – Elena Lazic, Cineuropa

“Director Tim MacKenzie-Smith clearly has a lot of affection for the band. And so do we after watching his film.” – Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall