Back in the groove with ‘Renascence’ album, Cymande plays Atlanta this week

There’s no greater sign of a group’s timelessness than much younger listeners locking in with the songs and making the effort to see a live performance.

Electrified by an undeniable groove and an original blend of funk, jazz, soul, calypso and rock, the music of the band Cymande made the trans-Atlantic leap from its U.K. base to U.S. charts and venues in 1972. Tours with Jerry Butler and Al Green further raised the group’s profile alongside its three well-received albums in the early to mid-1970s.

Disillusioned by the lack of support in its home country, Cymande then went on hiatus for decades, with several members beginning successful legal careers. The music, however, stayed alive, with pioneering hip-hop DJs such as Grandmaster Flash using sections of songs as breakbeats at shows and house parties. A who’s who of rap artists, from De La Soul to EPMD, began sampling the band’s work.

In parallel, band members continued to compose music. Reunion performances came next, followed by 2015 album “A Simple Act of Faith” and last year’s critically lauded “Renascence.”

Cymande co-founders Patrick Patterson (left) and Steve Scipio continue to anchor the group's dynamic mix of soul, jazz, calypso, funk and rock. (Courtesy of Dean Chalkley)

Cymande, named for a calypso word for “dove,” makes its long-awaited return to Atlanta with a Thursday (March 26) performance at Variety Playhouse.

Co-founder Patrick Patterson visits the area frequently, with family members in Conyers and other nearby spots.

Formed in South London by musicians whose families had immigrated from across the Caribbean, Cymande got its start at iconic Soho venues such as the 100 Club and Ronnie Scott’s. “It was a fantastic space for us to experiment, if you like, musically. And to have an audience that would listen to our music,” said Patterson, the guitarist, who joined Anguilla neighbor, bassist and fellow co-founder Steve Scipio on a recent call with the AJC.

Patterson and Scipio grew up five doors apart, and Cymande’s music developed organically, a natural extension of the time members spent hanging out. “In the early days, the creation of the music was done by us together,” Scipio said. “Patrick would get an idea, then he would bring it across to me, and then together we would work on it. And vice versa.”

Debut single “The Message” reached No. 22 on the soul chart (as it was then known) and No. 48 on the pop list here in the States, and was a part of the group’s influential self-titled debut album. Complementing the music is Scipio’s iconic album art, a picture of a Black man surrounded by the dove referred to in the band’s name.

“I was trying to conceptualize those three things: the name, the dove and also that it’s a Black band,” Scipio said. “I wish I’d recognized at the time that it would have been so iconic, I might have paid more interest in the copyright aspect!”

With the success of 2025 album "Renascence" and more new music in the works, Cymande continues to excite new fans alongside those who listened to the band's work in the 1970s. (Courtesy of Dean Chalkley)

2022 saw the release of the highly regarded documentary “Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande.” Five years in the making, the film gave group members the opportunity to celebrate achievements and express frustrations about their experiences in the British music industry. Patterson and Scipio enjoyed the experience. “We got the chance to say our piece, if you like, and a bit about our history,” Patterson said.

One of the many musicians who queued up to sing the band’s praises in the documentary was Soul II Soul frontman Jazzie B, whose artistry has built on the legacy of Black British music that Cymande helped to establish. Soon after, he collaborated with the group on “How We Roll,” a particularly funky “Renascence” track.

“Appreciation from Jazzie is wonderful,” Patterson said. “And from all quarters, because we also worked with (British singer) Celeste, and these things came up organically. To work with them both — especially the connection to roots music in England — Black roots music — that’s been a very important thing to us.”

“Renascence” finds the revamped Cymande (the other original members are retired or deceased) in fine form, kicking things off with the lush-sounds-meets-sharp-message style of “Chasing An Empty Dream.” The track “Coltrane” is of course saxophone-focused, and Celeste’s piano-led “Only One Way” is especially soulful. The overall blend reflects the now-distinct writing habits of jazz aficionado Scipio and the rock-focused Patterson.

“We have still managed to find a Cymande sensibility for our music, because I think there’s a kind of a core thing we established as musicians and as a band that we tried to recapture and bring into 2025,” said Patterson.

The new songs have blended seamlessly into set lists, alongside the older material. “Strangely enough, for me there’s almost a continuum,” Scipio said. “With us I think it’s one of the elements that has led to the longevity of the band, that the music just seems to transcend periods.”

Running in parallel with the music’s transcendence are the increasingly younger audiences coming to see the group. “When we first started back on the road I was expecting to see just people there for the nostalgia value,” the bassist said. “But it was all young kids, and it’s still young kids. It’s amazing, really, how they connect with the music.”

For fans hoping Cymande builds on the momentum generated by “Renascence,” rest assured that the group has continued to write and is committed to making another album. While studio work hasn’t started yet, “We are very much pursuing that at the moment,” Scipio said.

Said Patterson: “We’ve not stopped writing as the journey with ‘Renascence’ demonstrates. We didn’t empty the can. So, in truth, the story continues.”