Sample Source
1972–1974
Cymande recorded three albums for Janus Records between 1972 and 1974 — Cymande, Second Time Around, and Promised Heights. A London-based group of Afro-Caribbean musicians, they combined funk, soul, afrobeat, and Caribbean rhythms in a way that was unique at the time and has aged extraordinarily well. Their first album is one of the most sampled in British and American hip hop. "Bra" and "Dove" appear in dozens of classic tracks.
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Random Funk / Soul records from the Discogs database — played instantly on YouTube.
Start Digging →"Bra" (1972) is the most sampled — the opening percussion and bass groove has appeared in recordings by De La Soul, Gang Starr, Salt-N-Pepa, and dozens of other hip hop and soul artists. "Dove" contains a drum break that rivals James Brown for impact. The self-titled debut album is one of the most consistently sampled LPs in British hip hop history.
Cymande combined funk rhythms with Afro-Caribbean percussion patterns — bongos, congas, and hand drums layered over a heavy funk backbeat — creating a rhythmic complexity that is unusual for 1972. The recordings were made at a period when UK studios were combining American soul with British psychedelic and progressive rock influences, giving the productions a tonal weight that American funk records of the same period don't have.
Search Discogs by artist "Cymande" — the three Janus Records albums (1972–1974) are all documented. Original Janus pressings are the most valuable; reissues on Janus and on other labels (including a 2019 reissue series) are more accessible. CrateDrop with Funk/Soul genre and Funk style from the early 1970s will surface records from the same UK-Caribbean funk tradition.