The Soul of Rasta [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Cymande

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 12, 2000)
• Original Release Date: October 30, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Newhouse
• ASIN: B00004XR4I
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #416,297 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Like other underappreciated bands from the same era (the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, etc.), the multi-member funk band Cymande was virtually ignored during their short career, which spawned a trio of albums during the early '70s. But 20 years after their breakup, the group gained a large cult following, after countless modern-day rap acts began sampling bits from Cymande's tunes. The Newhouse label assembled a 13-track best-of set in 2000, The Soul of Rasta, collecting the finest tracks from their 3 original releases. Although comparable at times to such bands as Santana and War (especially evident in the group's use of percussion), Cymande's music is a must-hear, as it's a fantastic blend of exotic and funky ensemble playing (the group included eight members), soulful vocals, and uplifting lyrics, the latter of which sometimes reflected their Rastafarian beliefs. All 13 tracks are standouts, but tops would have to be "Bra" (which was a popular radio hit in! New York City when originally released), the groovy "The Message," the long and winding 11-minute track "Dove," and arguably the finest song on the collection, the soothing "Willy's Headache." The Soul of Rasta is an essential purchase for admirers of '70s funk and soul. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If only they had made more albums..., April 14, 2002

By	"davehinsanfran" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This is one of my favorite CD's of all time. Its grown on me incredibly and after over a year of steady listening, I am not bored of a single track. How best to describe them? Its definitely not reggae, though there are tinges of it in various songs, and there is a certain Caribbean flair to their accents and emphasis. I'd say its the Meters meets Carlos Santana, with a little bit of P-Funk thrown in on top. Every song is great. But especially Anthracite, Bra and The Message. Its a true feel good album - ups the spirit at least a few notches. If you haven't heard it, its definitely time to give it a listen.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Masters of World Funk and Soul, October 23, 2000

By A Customer

These original funky brothers from all hailing from the West Indies created the most amazing and invigorating fusion of funk and african reggae ever heard.

Most famously sampled by the Fugees, De La Soul ,EPMD and many others. Cymande is one of the most sampled bands in Hip Hop ever.

However, no longer is this band hip hop's little secret. This album allows new listeners to hear the great original tracks in a re mastered format. Featuring "Brother's on the Slide" and "Listen". This is an anthology of their most memorable material from the original 3 LPs recorded the between 1972-1974 in London, UK. Its unfortunate that their amazing musicianship was too unique for the period.

Yet today people are rediscovering and grooving to these hidden jewels. Dive in and feel the Funk!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Press Review, February 23, 2001

By	max (New York City) - See all my reviews

Here is what MIXMAG magazine had to say: One of the most original groups to emerge from the Black British music scene of the mid 70's, Cymande became the epitome of 'rare groove' a decade later. When The Message, perhaps the group's defining moment, dropped at clubs such as Shake And Finger Pop, you always got the feeling that this was music which was totally out on a limb - difficult to pin down, to locate within any particular time-frame. In fact, Cymande were a tightly-knit collective of Caribbean musicians who had migrated to London in the late 60's. And you feel it in just about all the tracks - the leisurely ripples of guitar, the nyabinghi-style percussive beds, the celebratory references to Jah. Cymande were not just black and proud, they were loud and West Indian. Athough wholly conversant with the rigours of funk, they developed a cosmic, mellow but nevertheless full-blooded sound that retained the reggae and calypso pulses of the Caribbean. The Cymande sound also had breakbeats jumping out of virtually every fourth bar. Tracks such as The Message, Dove, Brothers On The Slide, Bra and Fug would find their way into the sequencers of numerous hip hop producers some 15 years after being recorded. Cymande's music has been called anything from Afro-funk to Nyah Rock to hippie soul but these terms don't really do justice to the complexity or the finesse of the compositions. Although the band was more associated with the raw funk sound that was evolving in the States around the mid 70's, their music was decidedly island-style. Perhaps the closest point of comparison would be New Orleans funkmeisters The Meters, whose earthy bayou beats also had a strong aftertaste of the Caribbean. It only remains for me to say that for those who missed Cymande first time round, this re-issue, which brings together cherished tracks from the original three albums; Cymande, Second Time Round and Promised Heights. This is an essential purchase.