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Kiva (musician)

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Kiva Simova
OriginManitoba, Canada
Genresworld beat, jazz/ pop/ experimental
harmonic overtone singing
Occupation(s)singer, songwriter
vocal instructor
Instrument(s)vocals, keyboards
Years active1978–present
LabelsYemyss Music (independent)

Kiva Simova is a Canadian harmonic overtone singer, keyboard player, and songwriter, based in Winnipeg, MB, 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, records and teaches. She has composed for overtone choir and directed her own such choir, AURALIA in Prague.

Discography

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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)

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Tracks

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  1. Tuva on Rye
  2. Untouchable
  3. Gone Forever
  4. Seven Years
  5. The Big Picture
  6. Egyptian Eyes
  7. Venus and the Fly
  8. Dare to Lose
  9. The Flip Side
  10. The Science Project
  11. Heart Overboard
  12. Interlude in Monkey Forest
  13. On the Ganges
  14. Freedom to Go
  15. Regret

Musicians

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  • 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)

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Tracks

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  1. Sanctuary
  2. Donde Soweika
  3. Serendipity Doodah
  4. Everything Goes
  5. Morning Dew Ragu
  6. The Incident
  7. Firecracker Suite
  8. That Zing
  9. Kaida Kei
  10. In the Flesh

Musicians

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  • 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)

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Tracks

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  1. Going Down
  2. Sea Legs
  3. The Endeared Ones
  4. Bitter my Sweet
  5. Just in Case
  6. In Her Nature
  7. Resurrected
  8. Common Thread
  9. The Opposite of Torture
  10. Meeting in Dreamtime

Musicians

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  • 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

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  • Steve Baylin, Ottawa Xpress[1]

Recordings with other artists

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Film Soundtracks

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  • Beit Sha'ar (Nomad's Home), 2010, by Iman Kamel
  • Blood Pressure, 2012, by Sean Garrity
  • Unless, 2016
  • Sharkwater Extinction, 2018

References

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  1. ^ Baylin, Steve (May 2005). "Pulse review". Ottawa: Ottawa Xpress. Archived from the original on 2007-02-11. 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.