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IVA BITTOVÁ

RIO/Avant-Prog • Czech Republic


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Iva Bittová picture
Iva Bittová biography
Born in 1958 in Bruntál, Morava, town that's regarded as end of the world and rough place here in Czech R., Iva have always had good relationship to music, because her father was famous Romani musician (from southern Slovakia), while her mother sang in vocal groups. So these folk & avant influences are here because of this.

Iva studied drama, acting, before returning to study music again in early 1980's, in Brno on Janáček Academy. She had received her vocal training there. In 1985, Bittová collaborated with drummer Pavel Fajt from Czech Avant Rock group Dunaj. She left soon, but returned few times again, recording two albums in total. She worked with Pavel Fajt too, recording also two albums.

After revolution in 1989, she received international attention with touring and being featured on documentary film Step Across the Border (they attracted attention of English avant-garde guitarist Fred Frith).

She recorded 8 solo albums in total, even the last one is from 1997. Also notable successfull and important album Bílé Inferno (White Inferno) with Vladimír Václavek. However, she's quite busy and prolific, concentrating a lot on folk music of Morava with different musicians, these collaborations mostly brings just one album. Some of them with Czech artists, some with international.

Bittová herself described her music as: my own personal folk music and that's quite true, because in most of her music, these folklore influences can be heard. Which helps her to be so interesting and popular, because Moravian folklore is not so known abroad.

Her violin playing mixes different techniques, including playing the strings with various objects and plucking them like a banjo. Her vocal utterances range from traditional singing to chirping, cackling and deep throat noises. She puts her whole body into her performances, drawing on her theatrical skills, giving everything she can to performance to enrich it.

by Martin M.(cFly)

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IVA BITTOVÁ discography


Ordered by release date | Showing ratings (top albums) | Help Progarchives.com to complete the discography and add albums

IVA BITTOVÁ top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.33 | 6 ratings
Iva Bittová
1990
4.75 | 4 ratings
River of Milk
1991
3.57 | 7 ratings
Ne, nehledej (No, Do Not Seek)
1994
0.00 | 0 ratings
Kolednice (Carol singer)
1995
4.00 | 1 ratings
Divná slečinka (A Strange Young Lady)
1996
4.18 | 11 ratings
Bílé Inferno (Iva Bittová & Vladimír Václavek)
1997
4.00 | 1 ratings
Béla Bartók: 44 Duets for Two Violins (Iva Bittová & Dorothea Kellerová)
1997
2.00 | 1 ratings
Classic
1998
4.00 | 1 ratings
Echoes (with Andreas Kröper)
2001
4.00 | 9 ratings
Iva Bittová & Čikori
2001
1.00 | 1 ratings
The Party
2005
3.75 | 4 ratings
Elida
2005
0.00 | 0 ratings
Zvon
2012
0.00 | 0 ratings
Fragments
2013
0.00 | 0 ratings
Nocz & Iva Bittová
2014
3.00 | 1 ratings
Entwine / Proplétám
2014
4.00 | 1 ratings
Nayive (Eviyan - Iva Bittová, Gyan Riley, Evan Ziporyn)
2015
0.00 | 0 ratings
Iva Bittová & Čikori: At Home
2016

IVA BITTOVÁ Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

IVA BITTOVÁ Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

0.00 | 0 ratings
Superchameleon
2006

IVA BITTOVÁ Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

0.00 | 0 ratings
Iva Bittová
1998
4.00 | 2 ratings
J. H. (Jako Host)
2002

IVA BITTOVÁ Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

0.00 | 0 ratings
Iva Bittová
1986

IVA BITTOVÁ Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Iva Bittová & Čikori by BITTOVÁ, IVA album cover Studio Album, 2001
4.00 | 9 ratings

BUY
Iva Bittová & Čikori
Iva Bittová RIO/Avant-Prog

Review by SaltyJon
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars It's not often that I get to listen to something which is more beautiful than it is bizarre coming from Avant/RIO. Sure, there is beauty in the music of many of the artists' works, but it's a more unconventional type than is evident here. I first heard of Iva Bittová while watching videos related to Fred Frith on Youtube, but didn't really look into her music further at that point. I'm sad that it took me so long to do so, because this album, at least, is really wonderful. We're treated to an entirely acoustic sound here, with Iva's violin and vocals being most prominent, along with Václavek's guitar. Iva's vocal style is definitely unconventional, but from the first time I heard her sing it grabbed me somehow. That's how this album was for me in general, in fact. I didn't know what it was that I liked about it, but I knew I definitely enjoyed what I was hearing. As Slava said above, there is definitely some influence from Middle Eastern musics, along with many other styles. It's not done in an overly showy way, though, as some other groups who are known for their genre-blending can seem to be. Rather, it's a sublime method, and one which I'm sure many listeners would enjoy. I would recommend this album as quickly to Folk fans as to Avant fans...indeed, when I first heard it I thought it was more fit for the Folk crowd.

I would say that the people who are most likely to enjoy this album are those who like quiet experimentation in their music and/or those who enjoy entirely acoustic ensembles. I'm fairly sure it would appeal to a rather wider audience as well. Definitely an excellent addition to your collection, and a nice way to step away from the normal avant sound (as if there is such a thing, anyway).

 Iva Bittová & Čikori by BITTOVÁ, IVA album cover Studio Album, 2001
4.00 | 9 ratings

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Iva Bittová & Čikori
Iva Bittová RIO/Avant-Prog

Review by snobb
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars After four years, Iva Bittova returned to her collaboration with acoustic guitarist Vladimír Václavek (in 1997she recorded successful album as duo with him - Bilé Inferno). Three more musicians on Čikori are the same as on Bilé Inferno. So, you can expect similar music, and you will be right.

Album's opener "Kočka" ("The Cat") is a great visit card of all album - minimalistic acoustic composition with Iva's scratching vocals, absolutely influenced by early Kate Bush, but played in avnt-pop key, with Arabic folk influence, brass and bluegrass acoustic guitar.

Then, listener will hear all the line acoustic guitar-led compositions, combining avant-pop with bluesy roots, Middle East singing techniques, violin sketches , regulated cacophony of minimalistic sounds. And - her Gypsy roots music, Slavic folklore, free jazz elements, Balkan fusion, etc.

The last album's composition ("Kazu") is free jazz world improv.

Happily, incorporating so many different elements in her music, the sound stays still very atmospheric and almost minimal. No overuse of instruments or arrangement at all. Great album from one of the greatest Eastern European folk avant fusion artist.

 J. H. (Jako Host) by BITTOVÁ, IVA album cover Boxset/Compilation, 2002
4.00 | 2 ratings

BUY
J. H. (Jako Host)
Iva Bittová RIO/Avant-Prog

Review by Marty McFly
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars This album really makes an impression. Starting as quite acoustic (just instrument and voice), we soon realizes that main instrument here is Iva Bittová's vocals. She ranges from sweet mellow harmonic pleasure (as on first two tracks for example) to more hypnotic and mysterious (like pagan rituals) choral of one voice as on Smuténka ("Sad One"), few duets (one with my favorite musician and talk show host Marek Eben who helps on Tichá Domácnost ("Quiet Household"). Her vocals skills are later on showcased on some Moravian songs and even one Arabic influenced track. There's even one Hungarian cover sung in English (probably from cover version that made it famous).

Through the album we're introduced to variety of instruments, each track has different basis, theme, lead instrument and genre, even all of them are acoustic, everything here sounds perfectly crystal clear, so it helps too.

There will be no horror at all, nothing extremely Avant Garde so that you would be scared to death, nothing negative in this way (even I'm aware that some people profit from negative feelings and transforms them in good waves of energy - oh, I don't like speaking about this stuff). Absolutely no, because this album is calm, acoustic and even so called "dramatic moments" are dramatic in only calm sense of this word. Don't expect classical music twists in pace and melody.

Because this music simply flows. It's one of these wet, watery, river-like albums.

4(+) and because of this I like it.

It's a compilation and as such I don't like them by default. But this is something like unreleased pieces so everything is alright.

Thanks to evolutionary_sleeper for the artist addition.

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