Cymande

Although underappreciated and woefully overlooked during their original tenure together, the fine early-'70s British outfit Cymande (pronounced Sah-mahn-day) was one of the first to merge African rhythms with rock, funk, reggae, and soul. In a musical community that generally took its cues from America, Cymande embraced U.S. styles like funk and soul, but also folded in large portions of reggae, jazz, and African rhythms, creating a sound that was subtle but sinewy, full of grooves both thoughtful and literate -- music that could inspire dancing or a spirited conversation thro...