With a membership deriving from several Caribbean nations, Cymande were noted for an eclectic mix of funk, soul, reggae, rock, African music, calypso, and jazz that they called "nyah-rock".
Scipio and Patterson had previously played together in a jazz fusion group called Metre, in which they picked up additional influences from British-Nigerian percussionist Ginger Johnson.
[6] All were members of the Afro-Caribbean diaspora community in London, originating in nations including Guyana, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent.
[3] In 1973 they made history as the first British band to headline the Apollo Theater in New York,[10] and they also performed on Soul Train.
[10] By the late 1980s they were being sampled regularly by rap artists, starting with De La Soul on the song "Change in Speak" from their 3 Feet High and Rising album, plus EPMD, The KLF, MC Solaar, Heavy D, and many others.
[15] An unauthorized sample of "Dove" by The Fugees resulted in a lucrative copyright infringement settlement for Scipio and Patterson.
[8] The group completed several one-off shows in the next few years,[17] with all nine original members eventually contributing at various times, alongside some new sidemen.