Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande

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Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande

Released Apr 5

1h 33m

Documentary

Music

Biography

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Popcornmeter

70%

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10 Reviews

100%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Cymande, a group of Black British musicians who all came to the U.K. from the Caribbean as children, released three brilliant albums in quick succession in the early 1970s and were embraced in the USA. But in the U.K., they faced a music business beset by prejudice against homegrown Black talent and were largely ignored. They originally split in 1975, but their music lived on, as successive generations of artists and fans found and embraced their songs. Hip Hop, House, Drum and Bass, R&B, Rare Groove, and crate-digging communities all saw something in the songs of Cymande that inspired them.

Daniel Joyaux

indieWire

Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande is halfway decent as a story about Cymande, but it’s sadly not even close to the story of Cymande.

Rated: C-

Jul 25, 2024

Full Review

Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

Aims for a Buena Vista Social Club-style story of late-life rediscovery but gets a little bogged down in a few too many hagiographic quotes from high-profile fans.

Rated: 2/5

Feb 18, 2024

Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

This documentary is an education and a good-news story about the remarkable 70s British funk band Cymande (the word is a calypso term for “dove”) who should be as big as Earth Wind & Fire, but aren’t.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 14, 2024

Full Review

Andy Klein

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

[The beginning and end] are both wonderful, but you do have to put up with too many people being interviewed.

Aug 28, 2024

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Carla Hay

Culture Mix

If you want to know why the 1970s British band Cymande didn't become as well-known as American counterparts such as Parliament-Funkadelic, this illuminating documentary tells a fascinating, heart-wrenching, and informative story.

Jul 26, 2024

Full Review

Christopher Campbell

Nonfics

It’s mostly notable for how it shows the positive value that sampling and the internet have both had on once-obscure or forgotten old bands like Cymande.

Jul 26, 2024

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Yusuf

Uplifting story for long time fans and those who may never even have heard of Cymande

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/28/24

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Aaron T

Fantastic, moving story of a band youve likely heard but may not recognize. Anyone who has been moved by music will find something to love in this film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/28/24

Full Review

Hugh L

This is a beautiful film :)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/19/24

Full Review

Ben T

Having seen this film at the Ritzy in Brixton I have to say it's one of the most thought provoking documentaries I've seen for a long time. The music was new to me, or so I thought. Watching the film I realised how much Cymande had influenced my life through samples in both hip hop and later in dance music. This was truly a revelation as I'd never heard this story before. I'd give it a five star rating.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/24/24

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Tim Mackenzie-Smith

Director

Cymande

Self

Masta Ace

Self

Mark Ronson

Self

Little Louie Vega

Self

Kool DJ Red Alert

Self

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Synopsis

Cymande, a group of Black British musicians who all came to the U.K. from the Caribbean as children, released three brilliant albums in quick succession in the early 1970s and were embraced in the USA. But in the U.K., they faced a music business beset by prejudice against homegrown Black talent and were largely ignored. They originally split in 1975, but their music lived on, as successive generations of artists and fans found and embraced their songs. Hip Hop, House, Drum and Bass, R&B, Rare Groove, and crate-digging communities all saw something in the songs of Cymande that inspired them.

Director: Tim Mackenzie-Smith
Producer: Tim Mackenzie-Smith, Matt Wyllie
Distributor: Abramorama
Production Co: Crawshay Films
Genre: Documentary, Music, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 5, 2024, Limited
Runtime: 1h 33m

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