Kiva (musician)


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 which she both performs, records and teaches. Also known for extended vocal techniques, she incorporates these techniques in her own group MIDBRAIN SURFERS, an experimental improvisational project. She has composed for overtone choir and directed her own such choir, AURALIA in Prague.
WWW kivasimova.com

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 contains ten originals. It features an improvised piece co-written with didgeridoo player Ondrej Smeykal.

''The Ladder'' (1998) – Yemyss Music (indie)

Tracks

  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

  • 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
  • Rob Gusevs: organ
  • Bob Taillefer: pedal steel
  • Anne Bourne: cello
  • Dave Maurakis: cello
  • Jim Casson: percussion

''Pulse'' (2004) – Yemyss Music (indie)

Tracks

  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

  • 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

  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

  • 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

Recordings with other artists

Live in Poughkeepsie, Crash Test Dummies, 1994 It's All Right, Xiao Ping Lee, 1996 Moksha, The New Millennium Orchestra, 1996 Dancing with the Living, Strange Angels, 1997 Circle of Days, The Ring Cycle, 1998 Sin & other Salvations, The Wyrd Sisters, 2001 Waiting for Catherine, The Ormidales, 2008 The Quality of Light, Live Ullmann, 2008 In These Arms- A Song for All Beings, Jennifer Berezan and Friends, 2011 Jenny Robinson- http://www.jennyrobinson.ca Jenny Robinson 2016 Sweet Roses, Ilena Zaramba 2024

Film Soundtracks

  • Beit Sha'ar, 2010, by Iman Kamel
  • Blood Pressure, 2012, by Sean Garrity
  • Unless, 2016
  • Sharkwater Extinction, 2018
  • Act One, 2025