Ekova, a French world music group, was formed in 1998 and comprised Dierdre Dubois on vocals and cello, Arash Khalatbari on percussion and clarinet, and Mehdi Haddab on oud. The trio's unique blend of Middle Eastern, North African, and Celtic influences quickly garnered attention. Ekova released their debut album Heaven's Dust in 1998, followed by Soft Breeze & Tsunami Breaks in 1999, and Space Lullabies & Other Fantasmagore in 2000. The group collaborated with notable artists such as Lofofora on the track "Shiva Skunk Special Ekova Flavour" from their album Peuh! and contributed to the album Le Sommeil du Monstre, which accompanied Enki Bilal's graphic novel. They also supported The Cure during their French tour in 2000 and performed at the World Music Festiv'Alpe in Château-d'Œx, Switzerland, in 2001. The group disbanded in 2008.
