Getting It Back : The Story of Cymande

Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande, debut feature film from British director Tim Mackenzie-Smith, is an absolute riot of fun and funk. It reveals the far-reaching influence of the forgotten 70s Black British band Cymande who should have been destined for greatness on their home turf but found favour across the Atlantic instead.  

You may not have heard of Cymande but you have probably listened to them without knowing. Various Cymande hooks have been looped into hip-hop and dance tracks and they've inspired scores of DJs and musicians, from the Fugees, Wu-tang Clan and MC Solaar, to name but a few. Cymande fused rock, jazz, funk and soul with Caribbean influence to create a style that was hard to categorise but ahead of its time and very, very danceable. 

The band comprised nine members hailing from Guayana, Jamaica and St Vincent, arriving in Britain as part of the Windrush generation. The Story of Cymande sheds light on the personal experiences of racism and discrimination they encountered as they settled into South London life. One of the members describes his dad who had been a baker back in Jamaica. However, he couldn't get a job as a baker in London because people didn't want his hands touching the dough. The film documents how these painful experiences propelled the band members, all of whom were self-taught, to come together to find solace in music. They wanted to be the antithesis of that harsh environment, and they chose to represent peace and love even through their band emblem which was a dove.

The film does exceptionally well to interview a plethora of big names, many of whom offer their own discovery stories of Cymande. We hear Vincent Mason from De La Soul talk about how he had heard his mum playing Cymande in the living room when he was growing up. This later led to De La Soul sampling Cymande's “Bra” in their track “Change In Speak”.  Cut Chemist describes the unforgettable moment he listened to his first Cymande record and Laura Lee from Khruangbin talks devotedly about Cymande's bassline melodies. Cymande became music's best-kept secret and had entered the “sacred crates of hip hop” as DJ Hollywood puts it. 

The film charts their rising success in the USA where they supported Al Green and became the first British group to play at the renowned Apollo Theatre in Harlem. Their second USA visit saw them touring with Kool and the Gang. Cymande's surviving members, now in their old age, come across humble and aloof about their previous success. When describing the difficulties they had in being recognised in Britain once they'd returned from their USA tours, there was a sense of sadness but also a stoicism that life had to continue. The band broke up after their third album with a few of the members retraining to be lawyers to help fight the institutionalised hostilities the Black community faced. 

It was particularly moving to see Pablo Gonsales, who has now sadly passed away since the making of the film, comment to the camera and his bandmate after a recent reunion show, “It's not about me or you. It's about them, the fans. Power to the people,” to which the other responded, “Right on.”

The odds were stacked against them but there's a sense of wonderment in watching Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande. It brilliantly shows how their music defied the odds and lives on so many years later, acquiring a new generation of fans at home and abroad. The band are planning to tour in 2024 and this is the perfect accompaniment to allow for a greater appreciation before you go and see them. If you're the type who loves discovering underrated artists from a bygone era, then this film is bound to have your undivided attention.

Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande will be released in UK & Ireland cinemas on 16 February 2024 

from https://filmhounds.co.uk