Cymande!

I've been listening to these dudes a lot recently.  Cymande is one of those funk/soul groups from the early 70's that I've been told to check out by various people for quite awhile, and for some reason, have slept on this band forever.  Just an amazing, amazing groove that comes out of this band.  Interesting story in that the band formed in London, England but many of the members were from Jamaica and Guyana.  Supposedly they formed in the basement of a strip club in England, but I'm unsure if this is a myth or a true story.  Anyway, I highly recommend checking this band out more, as I just recently picked a compilation of their first two albums and it's great.  All killer, no filler, as they say.  Check out "Bra", one of my favorite tracks by Cymande.  

If that track sounds familiar to you, it's probably because you are a De La Soul fan, as they sampled "Bra" on their track "Change in Speak" off of their classic album 3 Feet High and Rising. 

Also, check out this track for more Cymande goodness!  This is "The Message", the first track I heard by Cymande that really turned me on to this band. 

I'd recommend picking up the Cymande album just titled Cymande, as it contains all 17 tracks off of their first two albums.  Essential stuff!