Kiva (musician)
| Kiva Simova | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Manitoba, Canada |
| Genres |
world beat, jazz/ pop/ experimental harmonic overtone singing |
| Occupation(s) |
singer, songwriter vocal instructor |
| Instruments | vocals, keyboards |
| Years active | 1978-present |
| Labels | Yemyss Music (independent) |
| Associated acts | Crash Test Dummies |
| Website | http://kivasimova.com |
| Notable instruments | |
| voice: harmonic overtoning, keyboards | |
Kiva Simova is a Canadian harmonic overtone singer keyboard player and songwriter, based in Saltspring Island, BC, Canada. She is internationally recognized as a western pioneer in world beat/jazz music, particularly the art of harmonic overtone singing (singing two pitches simultaneously) which she both performs and teaches. She composes for overtone choir and has directed her own such choir, AURALIA in Prague.
Discography
Kiva has released three solo CDs featuring original compositions and her own style of overtone singing and recorded albums with a diverse range of artists.
Kiva's solo recordings include 1998's 'The Ladder', featuring thirteen originals by Kiva, one song co-written with Gary Taylor and one cover of a Bob Fuhr/ Larry Hicock song. Her 2004 album 'Pulse' features ten originals, including co-writes with Rhys Fulber, Nii Tettey Tetteh, John Hudson, Jay Stoller and Jordan Hanson. The third album, 'The Quality of Light', released December 2013 (with artist name adjusted to 'Kiva Simova') contains ten originals. It features an improvised piece co-written with didgeridoo player Ondrej Smeykal.
The Ladder (1998) - Yemyss Music (indie)
Tracks
- Tuva on Rye
- Untouchable
- Gone Forever
- Seven Years
- The Big Picture
- Egyptian Eyes
- Venus and the Fly
- Dare to Lose
- The Flip Side
- The Science Project
- Heart Overboard
- Interlude in Monkey Forest
- On the Ganges
- Freedom to Go
- Regret
Musicians
- Kiva: vocals, piano, keyboards, percussion, jaw harp
- Gary Taylor: drums, percussion, keyboards, sampling
- Mike Bossy: bass
- John Gzowski: guitar
- Kevin Breit: guitar
- Rob Piltch: guitar
- Chris Bennett: guitar
- Oliver Schroer: violin (deceased 2008)
- Rob Gusevs: organ
- Bob Taillefer: pedal steel
- Anne Bourne: cello
- Dave Maurakis: cello
- Jim Casson: percussion
Pulse (2004) - Yemyss Music (indie)
Tracks
- Sanctuary
- Donde Soweika
- Serendipity Doodah
- Everything Goes
- Morning Dew Ragu
- The Incident
- Firecracker Suite
- That Zing
- Kaida Kei
- In the Flesh
Musicians
- Kiva: vocals, piano, keyboards
- John Hudson: percussion
- Heidi Hunter: acoustic harp
- Rodrigo Munoz: percussion
- Don Benedictson: bass
- Jay Stoller: percussion
- Richard Moody: viola
- Mahabub Khan: tabla, additional vocals
- Jane Miller: additional vocals
- Nii Tettey Tetteh: percussion, African flute
- Bill Spornitz: soprano saxophone
- Eli Herscovitch: clarinet
- Jordan Hanson & Batuque Ensemble: percussion
The Quality of Light (2014) - Yemyss Music (indie)
Tracks
- Going Down
- Sea Legs
- The Endeared Ones
- Bitter my Sweet
- Just in Case
- In Her Nature
- Resurrected
- Common Thread
- The Opposite of Torture
- Meeting in Dreamtime
Musicians
- Kiva Simova: vocals, grand piano, Wurlitzer keyboard
- Jim Casson: percussion
- Ian de Souza: electric bass
- George Koller: upright acoustic bass
- Lucy Fillery-Murphy: cello
- Ondrej Smeykal: didgeridoo
Professional reviews
- Steve Baylin, Ottawa Xpress[1]
Recordings with other artists
- Live in Poughkeepsie, Crash Test Dummies, 1994 (keyboards, backup vocals)
- It's All Right, Xiao Ping Lee, 1996 (producer, arranger, backup vocals)
- Moksha, The New Millennium Orchestra, 1996 (harmonic overtoning)
- Dancing with the Living, Strange Angels, 1997 (keyboards, backup vocals)
- Circle of Days, The Ring Cycle, 1998 (harmonic overtoning, improvised vocals)
- Sin & other Salvations, The Wyrd Sisters, 2001 (keyboards, backup vocals)
- Waiting for Catherine, The Ormidales, 2008 (backup vocals)
- The Quality of Light, Live Ullmann, 2008 (lyrics & melody by Kiva, backup vocals)
- In These Arms- A Song for All Beings, Jennifer Berezan and Friends, 2011 (guest lead vocals)
Film Soundtracks
- Beit Sha'ar (Nomad's Home), 2010, by Iman Kamel
- Blood Pressure, 2012, by Sean Garrity
References
- ↑ Baylin, Steve (May 2005). "Pulse review". Ottawa: Ottawa Xpress. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
Pulse surges in wave after wave of sheer textural bliss as cascading walls of vocal fluency cry, swoon and surprise amid a subtle swell of jazz, pop, Klezmer, Celtic, Caribbean and Cajun trimmings.