Cymande were an eclectic band who released several albums throughout the ea… Read Full Bio ↴Cymande were an eclectic band who released several albums throughout the early seventies.

They arrived in London, England from Guyana and Jamaica and developed a subtle, deep funk style heavily influenced by Calypso rhythms, Jazz, African music, and American Soul.

Cymande can now be seen as one of the most sophisticated of the heavy funk acts that evolved in the early 1970s.

By the mid-seventies the band members were going their separate ways. It wasn't until 20 years later that they reaped any financial rewards, as their music became a popular source for samplers.

Cymande's original albums are still widely sought-after by DJ's and funk afficionados.

Perhaps the band's best known recording is the soulful dancefloor groove "Bra", later sampled by the American hip-hop group De La Soul.

Cymande was accidentally discovered by English producer John Schroeder in a Soho, London club where they were rehearsing. He was there to see a rock band. But the gig had been cancelled and he stumbled upon this unique collection of West Indian musicians. He soon signed the band and recorded their intial single "The Message." The single was released by Janus Records, a division of Chess Records. The track reached number 20 on the US R&B and Pop charts. This set the stage for Cymande's self titled release in 1972.

Cymande traveled to New York after the success of the first LP, and began a tour of the US with Al Green. They also shared a few bills with the latin funk ensemble Mandrill. They played a few important venues, including The Apollo, and played a gig on Soul Train.

The band released three LPs for Janus. However, their final album, "Promised Heights" which shows Cymande developing their distinctive chilled funk/jazz sound was not released in the USA where Cymande had achieved their initial success. Promised Heights included one of their most cherished tracks, "Brothers on the Slide," along with "The Recluse," the downtempo jazz/funk of "Changes," and the slow funk churner "Promised Heights." The tracks "Brothers on the Slide," and "Bra," also were staples of the new Rare Groove/ Deep House scene which developed in London and New York night clubs during the eighties.

Members

* Ray King - Vocals/Percussion
* Steve Scipio - Bass
* Derek Gibbs - Soprano/Alto
* Pablo Gonsales - Congas
* Joey Dee - Vocals/Percussion
* Peter Serreo - Tenor
* Sam Kelly - Drums
* Mike Rose - Alto/Flute/Bongos
* Patrick Patterson - Guitar
* Jimmy Lindsey - Vocals/ Percussion (Promised Heights LP)

Discography

* 1972 - Cymande
* 1973 - Second Time Around
* 1974 - Promised Heights
* 2004 - Renegades of Funk "Best Of Anthology"
* 2007 - Promised Heights "reissue compilation"

In popular culture

* "Bra" is featured on the soundtrack to Spike Lee's 1993 film Crooklyn. "Bra", "Dove", & "The Message" can be heard in his 2002 film 25th Hour.
* "Bra" is sampled by De La Soul in the song "Change in Speak," from 3 Feet High and Rising.
* The instrumental mid-portion of "Bra" was used at both the beginning and ending of John Leguizamo's stage production Sexaholix.
* The Fugees sampled Cymande's "Dove" for the title track of their 1996 second album The Score.
* The Message was resampled for Masta Ace's "Me & The Biz," notably featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and in 1991 on MC Solaar's "Bouge de là."
* Solo.X sampled "Dove" for the first track on 2007s Limited Edition promotional EP Black September on the song Glass House Theory
* The track "Brothers on the Slide" was featured in the background of the movie Dallas 362.
* British reggae band Aswad covered "The Message" on their 1988 album "Distant Thunder".
* "The Message" was sampled by Ruthless Rap Assassins on their 1990 single "And It Wasn't A Dream"

Mighty Heavy Load
Cymande Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

People Have Seen Me
Said I'm Changing Fast
Worry Shall Have Changed You
Since I Saw You Last

Blind Man Walking Around
And Has A Dream
Seeking Their Goal

That They Have Never Seen

A Mighty Heavy Load
I Got To Bear Every Road I Travel
A Mighty Heavy Load
That I Hold For Centuries More
(Believe Me Now)
A Mighty Heavy Load
I Got To Bear Every Road I Travel
A Mighty Heavy Load
That I Hold For Centuries Gone

We Have Waited For All Those
Precious Words
Nothing Spoken
Nothing Heard

Innocent Seeking
The Time Of Change

Seems To Pass
They Must Be Out Of Range

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Cymande's song "Mighty Heavy Load" tell the story of a person who is changing fast and is burdened by a heavy load that they must bear on every road they travel. The opening lines suggest that others have noticed this shift in the person, indicating that the change is significant enough to be observable. The phrase "worry shall have changed you" implies that the cause of the change may be stress or anxiety. The singer seems to be speaking to someone they haven't seen "since I saw you last," suggesting a long period of time has passed since they last saw this person.

The second verse introduces the idea of a "blind man walking around" who has a dream of seeking a goal that they have never seen. The metaphor of the blind man suggests that the goal is elusive and the journey to reach it will be difficult. The chorus repeats the phrase "a mighty heavy load" four times, emphasizing the weight of the burden the singer must bear. The last line of the chorus, "that I hold for centuries more," suggests that they may be carrying the burden for a long time.

The final verse describes waiting for "precious words" that are never spoken or heard. The innocence of those seeking "the time of change" seems to be contrasted with the heaviness of the load that the singer carries, suggesting that the journey towards change is not an easy one. The phrase "they must be out of range" implies that the goal is far away and difficult to reach.

Overall, "Mighty Heavy Load" is a song about the struggle to carry personal baggage and the obstacles that arise on the journey towards change. The metaphor of the blind man and the burden of the load emphasize the difficulty of the journey.

Line by Line Meaning

People Have Seen Me
People have noticed changes in me

Said I'm Changing Fast
People say I am changing rapidly

Worry Shall Have Changed You
You will be changed due to worries that come with time

Since I Saw You Last
Since the last time we met

Blind Man Walking Around
A person walking around without sight

And Has A Dream
They have a dream they wish to achieve

Seeking Their Goal
Looking for a way to achieve their goal

That They Have Never Seen
A goal that they have never seen before

A Mighty Heavy Load
A great burden

I Got To Bear Every Road I Travel
I have to endure all hardships while traveling

That I Hold For Centuries More (Believe Me Now)
A burden I have to hold for many years (trust me)