Canamii-Concept (1980)

This project was inspired by the musical "theme" of The Alan Parsons Project, where, together with session musicians, they created an album of exceptional musicianship. Canamii was founded in South Africa by British descendants Phil Nel (keyboards) and Claire Whitaker (vocals), who, along with guitarist Paul Woodley, created their first and only album. Released in 1980, while the overall concept is symphonic progressive rock, they are actually better suited to a crossover sound. The music could be categorized as a hybrid of baroque and symphonic sounds, with a strong classical influence. The power of this group lies in Whittaker's voice (with a timbre very similar to Annie Haslam's of Renaissance), featuring pleasing and excellent vocal layering, as can be heard in the track "The Jester". Other tracks like "Spiral" evoke a prog jazz feel, "Afrok" is the epitome of the group's sound, while the melancholic and hypnotic "Rain" and "Feelings" showcase the rich keyboard sound and the singer's melodious voice. Their more progressive side is evident in the tracks "And The Moon Be As Bright", "Children" and "Tri".