Posted on: February 1, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

An outstanding release!!!!!! “She” – a unique event on the world-wide scale!!!! This fantastic release is a must have for all fans of the best quality progressive/rock music!!!!

 


Caamora represents the partnership of Clive Nolan (Pendragon, Arena) and Agnieszka Swita in a lavish and creative collaboration. The musical version of ‘She’ is based on the classic novel of the same name by Victorian adventure writer H. Rider Haggard. Clive first encountered this story 25 years ago when he saw a film version at the cinema as a child. It had a profound effect on him, and many themes from this tale have appeared in different guises in  his work over the years. It has always been his intention to set this story to music, but it was not until he met Agnieszka that it did seem to be the right time. After telling her the scenario, she was caught up in Clive’s enthusiasm for the idea. With Agnieszka’s encouragement, Clive decided to begin this epic composition. Over the following months Clive furiously set to writing material, and Agnieszka traveled regularly from Poland to England to record demos. Gradually, the material piled up until they had over two hours of songs and music.

Clive Nolan: “The biggest problem we have now is cutting material out. I’m happy with all of it but some has to go to keep it within our two hour target.”

The culmination of the last two year’s work with Caamora took place on 31st October 2007 at the Wyspianski Theatre, Katowice, Poland. Spearheaded by Clive Nolan and Agnieszka Swita, this epic production featured also guest musicians: Alan Reed (Pallas/Neo) &  Christina Booth (Magenta) on vocals, bassist John Jowitt (IQ, Neo), Mark Westwood (Neo) & Martin Bowen on the guitars, Richard West (Threshold) & Steve Williams on the keyboards as also Scott Higham on the drums. Additional orchestra and choir, eye catching visuals and dramatic stage show formed an ambitious two hour musical journey.

Agnieszka Swita: “This project represents over two and a half years of writing, recording and preparation, and the involvement of a team of over forty people. This is not just an album, it’s an event!!!”

The ‘She’ Story:
Two explorers travel to Africa and stumble into a world of mystery and intrigue. They discover lost tribes living in vast underground caverns and worshipping a living Goddess… ‘She who must be obeyed’… Ayesha, the queen who is believed to be a woman of vast age. She welcomes the explorers, but her true motives soon become apparent. Ayesha has been waiting for the return of the man she loves… a man she murdered over 2000 years ago!

The musical landscape of ‘She’ is wide and varied: from the close, intimate sounds of voice and piano, through to the exhilaration and power of orchestra and choir, the music is intense and colourful.

Clive Nolan: “For me the blending of orchestra and rock band was one of the biggest challenges. I did not want these to be two separate entities stuck together (as is often the case with ‘band and orchestra’ albums), but one enormous blended sound.”

Stylistically, “She” has elements of heavy rock, and moments of pure opera – sometimes simple, sometimes complex, this is a rock opera that will stand the test of time.

Agnieszka Swita: “Whatever your musical taste, ‘She’ has something there for you, and every time you listen you will find a new perspective.”

The premiere of “She” is scheduled for release on 10th March 2008 in Europe and 13th May 2008 in the US (via MVD). This extensive material will be available in the following formats:  2 CD, DVD, ltd. DVD+2CD, ltd. 2 CD DG (incl. bonus track), ltd. 3 LP (incl. bonus track) and a BOX: 2 CD studio, 2 CD live, 2 DVD (incl. bonus DVD with 6 acoustic tracks and extra interview footage!). Full info on tracklist to each format to follow soon!!!

Bio
Clive and Agnieszka first met in February 2005. They gelled immediately and discussed the possibility of working together. In March, Agnieszka returned to the UK from her homeland of Poland, and recorded some material with Clive. This included what became the first song written for the “She” project. As a result of this fruitful session they decided to form Caamora. Over the next two years material for the ‘She’ project was written and developed.  For such a large-scale project, this represented a lot of music and lyrics.

Clive Nolan: “The demo songs were recorded with Agnieszka testing out all of the vocals. This gradually helped to give us an overall picture of the opera.”

During this time, the duo decided to take their music out on tour. The ‘She’ project has always been a long-term plan, and they were eager to get out and spread the word. So, during the later part of 2006 Caamora (with Swita singing to Nolan’s piano playing) toured Europe to a warm reception. Then they headed out to South America with some very successful gigs in Chile and Argentina. Caamora’s first fruit – “Closer” EP – was released in Autumn 2006 and featured back catalogue material written by Clive, as well as some new material from the “She” project. The music was arranged and recorded specially for this limited release.  The CD was received very well, and has led to some positive reviews, and increased interest in the ‘She’ project. 2007 began with a vibrant set of concerts in Poland, organized by Metal Mind. Reaction and interest in Caamora was growing with every concert.

Agnieszka Swita: “We never expected such enthusiasm! We hadn’t prepared for three encores nearly every night.”

Upon returning to the UK, recording begun on more Caamora material, which continued to develop the main album. Meanwhile, demand for Caamora on tour had grown, and dates are being booked for later in the year, which saw them visit Portugal and Canada for the first time, as well as returning to some familiar countries. On 4th June 2007 Metal Mind Productions released Caamora’s second EP entitled “Walk On Water”. The EP featured guest performances by Mark Westwood (Neo) on guitar, John Jowitt (IQ) on bass and Scott Higham (Shadowkeep) on drums.

The “She” album was recorded in the summer of 2007….. The partly staged show took place on 31st October 2007 at the Wyspianski Theatre, Katowice, Poland. Spearheaded by Clive Nolan and Agnieszka Swita, this epic production featured also guest musicians: Alan Reed (Pallas/Neo) &  Christina Booth (Magenta) on the vocals, bassist John Jowitt (IQ, Neo), Mark Westwood & Martin Bowen on the guitars, Richard West & Steve Williams on the keyboards, Scott Higham on the drums. Additional orchestra and choir, eye catching visuals and dramatic stage show formed an ambitious two hour musical journey.

Caamora returned in mid January 2008 with a third EP entitled “Embrace” -  the final step announcing the premiere of the epic production “She”. The  “Embrace” EP constituted a teaser of what we could expect from “She”. This special release included 4 alternative versions of songs to be featured on the full-length “She”.

The worldwide premiere of “She” is scheduled for release on 10th March 2008 in Europe and 13th May 2008 in the US (via MVD). This extensive material will be available in the following formats: 2 CD, DVD (incl. “making of” as a bonus), ltd. DVD+2CD, ltd. 2 CD DG (incl. bonus track), ltd. 3 LP (incl. bonus track) and a BOX: 2 CD studio, 2 CD live, 2 DVD (incl. bonus DVD with 6 acoustic tracks and extra interview footage!)

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