Cymande – ‘Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande’ (BFI) [Film Review]

I was lucky enough to catch Cymande’s electrifying appearance at We Out Here Festival last Summer for V13 (read the review here), and witnessed a masterclass in timeless UK funk. If I’d have known now what I didn’t know then, then my jaw may have been slightly nearer to the floor. This is one of the main points focused on in Tim Mackenzie- Smith’s film Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande, which is on general release now; the fact that this hugely influential band are still not as instantly recognisable as they should be is staggering. As a long-standing fan of funk and soul, I was ashamed by my lack of awareness of all things Cymande, and whilst I recognised the Seminal “Bra”, my knowledge ended there. Each artist interviewed in the film has in brackets, next to their name, the era that ...

unsplash-logoLilith Redmoon