Cymande with DJ Jason Palma & Paul E Lopes at The Concert Hall

It only took nearly 55 years for Cymande to perform in Toronto and there was no way I was going to miss it. The Concert Hall at 888 Yonge was the venue for a soul funk revival that was long overdue.

It was hot and humid outside but the A/C was crank inside. The evening got started with a fantastic DJ set from Toronto mainstays Jason Palma and Paul. E Lopes. Busting out some great soul, funk and latin flavoured dance beats. The temperature was rising on the dance floor. Once Cymande hit the stage, things got hot.

The legendary band led by long time members Steve Scipio, Patrick Patterson, Derek Gibbs, Sam Kelly and Pablo Gonsales were welcomed by the adoring audience. Frontman Ray Simpson, though not an original member, commanded the crowd with smooth, charismatic vocals. Keyboardist and vocalist Adrian Reid also made impressive contributions to the performance. Desmond Atwell and Ray Carless supplemented the horn section accentuating the groove.

The setlist had a heavy dose of the band’s historic self-titled debut, including Bra, The Message, Dove, Rickshaw and Getting It Back. A few from the band’s recently released album Renascence were also showcased. Sweeden, Chasing An Empty Dream and the single How We Roll which had the crowd singing the chorus. Songs from their other albums peppered the rest of the set. The classic Brothers On The Slide in particular had the crowd moving and grooving.

The new album stands in unison with the earlier material. It’s great to see the band out touring again. Their fans were greatly appreciative. This wasn’t a reunion based on nostalgia. It was a continuation of a band with history, heart, and relevance.

Music is the message and the message is music!

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Be sure to check out Collective Concerts to see what other great acts they will be bringing to Toronto this year.