Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande
classified 12APlease note: This was screened in July 2024
Celebrate Come the Revolution's 10th anniversary with a special screening of Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande, in partnership with Come the Revolution and St Paul's Carnival.
In the racially turbulent landscape of early 1970s Britain, a group of black musicians came together in South London with a shared love of music and a message of peace.
Cymande combined influences from funk, calypso, soul and jazz, to form a unique and intoxicating sound. Despite success in the USA, they were largely ignored in the UK and experienced abhorrent racism from the music industry, causing them to split in 1975.
However, their recordings never stopped inspiring and influencing generations of artists and fans, from Soul II Soul to De La Soul, MC Solaar and The Fugees, prompting their return after forty years.
This is their story, told on screen for the first time, with tributes from a galaxy of musicians and producers influenced and enthralled by their music to this day, including Mark Ronson, Norman Jay, Jazzie B, DJ Maseo of De la Soul, Jim James and Louie Vega.