The protracted delay mirrors the many obstacles the musicians faced as migrants to the U.K. decades ago. While the pair now live in Anguilla, for the interview, conducted by video, Scipio spoke from his children’s home in Kent, England, while Patterson, 75, spoke from his kids’ place in London, three miles from where the two grew up, in Balham. With joy, they recalled their early days in Guyana, which has strong cultural connections to the Caribbean.
“At the time Guyana was still a colony and most of the high-profile jobs were taken by English people,” Scipio said. “But we were kids, so we weren’t aware of that.”
Their families, who were friends, came to London when Scipio was 13 and Patterson 8, seeking further education to advance their careers. But their children’s experience at school had a negative effect. “Guyana had the best educational system in the whole Caribbean,” Scipio said. “I was far more advanced than the other kids in my London class. But, instead of encouraging that, my teachers made me sit idle in the back of the room.”
At the same time, the musicians’ parents found their opportunities for advancement limited. Though Caribbean immigrants had been strongly encouraged to come and help rebuild postwar London in the ’50s, they found themselves demonized by the ’60s, fueled by anti-immigrant rhetoric. “Suddenly, politicians said, ‘There’s too many of them, let’s send them back,’” Patterson said.
Playing instruments, which the two friends learned on their own, became the most positive force in their lives. In 1971, they formed Cymande, taking the name from a calypso term for dove. The other members, including the supple singer Ray King and the spirited conga player Pablo Gonsales, also had immigrant roots, in Jamaica, St. Vincent and Nigeria, giving the group ties to a wealth of Afro-Caribbean styles.
The lyrics they wrote either celebrated their culture or commented on the racism they faced because of it. In “The Message,” they stressed the power of group resistance (“Remember, you’ve been told / together, we can go”), while in “Changes” they soothed the community’s wounds (“No love has been displayed out here / and common pains have brought us near.”)
