“When Kelita sings or speaks, your heart is opened as she opens her heart to you.” ~M.S.

Kelita – Short Bio

KELITA is a one-name, one-woman powerhouse, a versatile, multi-talented artist who ignites hearts in her audiences through music, storytelling and, humour.

Whether she’s on stage performing before a large audience or working with people one-on-one in personal mentorship, Kelita’s unique style and heartfelt emotions touch everyone she comes in contact with.

She connects with audiences on a deeply emotional and spiritual level, borne out of an early life of one misfortune after another. Through her artistic performances and constant giving to others, she has transcended the tragedy of losing her parents and the humiliation and shame of childhood sex abuse, redirecting her energy into a more positive channel.

Kelita is a much-in-demand speaker who mesmerizes audiences with her many talents–singing, comedy and piano playing–and genuine tales of triumph over tragedy. Whether she’s the keynote speaker at a conference or performing before a televised audience, she never fails to impress an adoring public.

Her deep repertoire of talent qualifies Kelita for the superstardom bestowed upon her. As a five-time JUNO Award nominee, (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Awards) singer/songwriter, she has a powerful vocal range and an evocative style.

She’s a gifted mimic, comedienne and storyteller who presents a bevy of quirky characters, from Sophie Flanagan, the colorful trailer park mother of 12, to the infamous, sophisticated, yet hideous author, Priscilla Rottenbaught.

Kelita understands the curative power of humor on physical and mental well-being.

She’s a dedicated humanitarian determined to foster change and she has quietly and tirelessly raised awareness for worthy causes across the globe.

Kelita is definitely a force of nature, a compassionate, energetic multi-talented performer who continues to engage and inspire a constantly expanding universe of adoring fans and admirers.

Kelita – Long Bio

There are many entertainers for whom the term “multi-talented” applies but just a select few who take that description to a stratospheric new level. That would be KELITA.

From a small-town Alberta ranch girl to a big-city musical theatre performer, from a traumatized 11-year-old randomly plunking keys on an abandoned piano to an award-winning singer-songwriter, from a hilariously inventive creator of comic characters to a passionate humanitarian and inspirational speaker and from a dedicated, caring life coach to now, a published author of a gut-wrenching memoir … Kelita Haverland is indeed … multi-talented.

These talents were born on an imaginary stage in the hayloft of her family barn in Claresholm, Alberta, where tiny, tender Kelita sang to the cows and the stars. But this idyllic childhood was cut dramatically short when her parents separated, leading her father to ultimately take his own life. Her mother remarried but soon after succumbed to cancer, leaving young Kelita with an evil stepfather and even younger sister to care for. That, plus subsequent tragedies and abuses, fueled her dream to escape from this all-too-harshly real life into the fantasy land of music, performance, comedy and songwriting.

In the mid-80s, her dramatic (and immediate) impact on the Canadian country music scene produced numerous Juno nominations and Canadian Country Music awards. Shocking pink hair, high energy shows, a spirited stage presence with personality to spare, Kelita captivated a whole new generation of fans long before there was a Shania Twain or k.d. lang. Add to this her zany cast of characters and riveting original songs, and she was soon a staple at the top of the charts with a Nashville record deal in the works.

But The Universe had other plans. A near-fatal car crash combined with the final dissolution of an often-abusive marriage/manager relationship led to a stronger, more resilient and transparent singer-songwriter. Gone was the flash and trash, spurious smiles and proud persona. This new Kelita, along with her second husband, musician/producer/arranger Gord Lemon, tapped into her pain, vulnerability, tragic life, and renewed alliance with a higher power. Their first project included her now signature hit, The Strong One. Together they created and produced all of Kelita’s award-winning music including the Juno-nominated Naked Soul and Canadian Gospel Music Association’s Inspirational Album of the Year, Because of Love.

But even second acts can include surprises and suffering. It is all documented in Kelita’s new, no-holds-barred memoir, Reason to Sing (An Inspiring Journey Overcoming Trauma, Abuse and Betrayal). Twenty years in the making, this astonishing opus chronicles an unbelievable life, as each new chapter unveils more drama than most fiction authors would dare to invent. And yet it is all true.

“It’s taken me over 20 years to get this thing right,” the author admits freely, “mostly because I wasn’t sure if anyone would actually believe that everything is true. I also wasn’t always completely sure I wanted to expose all these deep, dark memories.”

So, what then got this first-time author to a place where exposing scandalous family secrets like suicide, incest, emotional abuse, drug addiction, adultery, secret homosexuality and betrayal was no longer daunting? How did she find the resolve to relive the pain of her father’s violent passing, her mother’s cancer, a wicked stepfather, an abusive marriage and the tragic deaths of three siblings?

“I knew that if I was going to do this, I had to go all-in. Sugarcoating the distasteful and humiliating is what I did my entire life. I literally hid behind fake smiles and self-constructed walls of shame. For me to write a fake account of a fake life was absolutely counterintuitive to all the work I have done on myself these past few decades. I knew I needed to be brutally honest for my own sake, as well as for the sake of all the people who might read this memoir and draw strength from it.”

Kelita has taken her deep understanding of the hurt and pain associated with childhood trauma and turned it into a passionate crusade for women, children and social justice. Her album Heavenly Night, along with the project of the same name, raised both awareness and $250,000 for the rehabilitation of young children rescued from child exploitation in Cambodia.

Tapping into all of her “multi” talents, Kelita’s dedication to being her best self, living her best life continues to spill over into her many creative pursuits. Whether entertaining through music and comedy, healing through humanitarian efforts and life-coaching or inspiring through her memoir and keynote speaking, her one true aim is to encourage others to discover their own truth and unleash the life they long for.

Now making her home on the Pacific coast of Mexico, Kelita and her husband Gord are enjoying semi-retirement in the sunshine. But that in no way implies that this dynamic powerhouse is abandoning her many passions.

“I am still singing and writing new music all the time. Obviously my focus of late has been this memoir, with the accompanying CD of 19 songs and the audio book. But now that this project is complete, I am ready to see where my next creative journey will take me. When I look back on my life, I am truly astounded by the unexpected twists and turns. But isn’t that the beauty of our existence? I believe I am being guided by a gentle hand. And I trust that wherever I travel next, it will be exactly where I am meant to go.”