Katarzyna Magdalena Rooijens (née Szczot; born 5 November 1967 in
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
), professionally known as Kayah, is a
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
*Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
singer-songwriter performing a variety of music genres, including
pop,
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
,
world
In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
and
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
. She has also experimented with
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
,
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
,
electronica
Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...
as well as
Balkan
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
and
Jewish music
Jewish music is the music and melodies of the Jewish people. There exist both traditions of religious music, as sung at the synagogue and domestic prayers, and of secular music, such as klezmer. While some elements of Jewish music may originat ...
.
Kayah released her first self-written album in 1995 and has since established herself as one of the most critically and commercially successful Polish singers. She is one of the most awarded artists by the
Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry
The Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry ( pl, Związek Producentów Audio-Video, ZPAV) is the trade organization that represents the interests of the music industry in Poland, and the Polish chapter of the International Federation of the ...
(ZPAV) and has placed fourth on Polish music magazine ''
Machina''s list of "50 best Polish female singers". Kayah has sold over one million records in Poland and most of her albums have been
certified platinum or gold by ZPAV. Particularly successful was the 1999 collaborative album ''
Kayah i Bregović
''Kayah i Bregović'' is a studio album by Yugoslav musician Goran Bregović and Polish singer Kayah, released in 1999 by Zic Zac and BMG Poland. The album was a major commercial and critical success in Poland, spawning the hits "Śpij kochanie, ...
'', recorded with
Yugoslav musician
Goran Bregović
Goran Bregović (born 22 March 1950) is a recording artist from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is one of the most internationally known modern musicians and composers of the Slavic-speaking countries in the Balkans, and is one of the few former Yugo ...
, which was certified diamond for selling over 700,000 copies, and spawned hit singles "Śpij kochanie, śpij" and "Prawy do lewego". Her other hits include "Fleciki", "Na językach", "Supermenka", "Testosteron", "Prócz ciebie, nic" with Polish singer
Krzysztof Kiljański
Krzysztof () is a Polish given name, equivalent to English ''Christopher''. The name became popular in the 15th century. Its diminutive forms include Krzyś, Krzysiek, and Krzysio; augmentative – Krzychu
Individuals named Krzysztof may choose to ...
and "Po co" with
Israeli
Israeli may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel
* Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel
* Modern Hebrew, a language
* ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008
* Guni Israeli ...
musician
Idan Raichel
Idan Raichel ( he, עידן רייכל, ; b. 12 September 1977) is an Israeli singer-songwriter and musician known for his "Idan Raichel Project" (Hebrew: ), distinctive for its fusion of electronics, traditional Hebrew texts, and diverse mus ...
. She has also collaborated with
Cape Verdean singer
Cesária Évora
Cesária Évora GCIH (; 27 August 194117 December 2011), more commonly known as Cize, was a Cape Verdean singer-songwriter. She received a Grammy Award in 2004 for her album '' Voz d'Amor''. Nicknamed the "Barefoot Diva" for performing withou ...
.
In the early 2000s, Kayah co-founded her own record label,
Kayax
Kayax Production & Publishing Sp. z o.o. is an independent Polish entertainment company that operates a record label, music publisher, management and concert agency. It was founded by singer Kayah and her business partner, musician Tomasz Grewińs ...
, which has since signed many successful artists and released numerous critically acclaimed albums. She has also hosted a number of television and radio shows and occasionally appeared in TV series and films in Poland. Kayah has also been outspoken politically, having supported Poland's
Women's Party and the
Committee for the Defence of Democracy
The Committee for the Defence of Democracy, CDD ( pl, Komitet Obrony Demokracji, ''KOD'') is a Polish-born civic organization and NGO which among its goals includes promoting the European values, especially democracy, rule of law, and human ...
. She is also an ally and supporter of the Polish
LGBT community
The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, gay community, or queer community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay men, gay, bisexuality, bisexual, transgender, and other queer individuals united by a comm ...
.
Background and early life
Kayah was born in Warsaw to a Polish mother and a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
father, but grew up with her grandparents in
Białystok
Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area.
Białystok is located in the Białystok Up ...
. She has two stepsisters on her father's side. Her grandmother was the cousin of Polish poet
Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński
Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński (23 January 1905 – 6 December 1953), alias ''Karakuliambro'', was a Polish poet. He is well known for the "paradramatic" absurd humorous sketches of the ''Green Goose Theatre''.
Biography
Born to a lower-mid ...
and Polish writer
Maria Dąbrowska.
As a young girl, Kayah wanted to be an archaeologist or a basketball player, and prior to musical career, she worked in a shop selling ties.
Kayah's pseudonym is 'Kaja' written phonetically in English, which was her childhood nickname, a kind of a
diminutive
A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A (abbreviated ) is a word-formati ...
from her birth name, Katarzyna.
Career
Kayah started performing with various bands from the mid-1980s and appeared as a backing vocalist in the song "Mówię ci, że..." by Polish rock band
Tilt
Tilt may refer to:
Music
* Tilt (American band), a punk rock group, formed in 1992
* Tilt (British band), an electronic music group, formed in 1993
* Tilt (Polish band), a rock band, formed in 1979
Albums
* ''Tilt'' (Cozy Powell album), 1981
* ...
, which was a hit in 1986. She debuted as a solo artist in 1988 at the
National Festival of Polish Song in
Opole
Opole (; german: Oppeln ; szl, Ôpole) ;
* Silesian:
** Silesian PLS alphabet: ''Ôpole''
** Steuer's Silesian alphabet: ''Uopole''
* Silesian German: ''Uppeln''
* Czech: ''Opolí''
* Latin: ''Oppelia'', ''Oppolia'', ''Opulia'' is a city loc ...
performing the song "Córeczko", which she co-wrote, and subsequently took part in the
Baltic Song Contest in
Karlshamn
Karlshamn () is a locality and the seat of Karlshamn Municipality in Blekinge County, Sweden. It had 13,576 inhabitants in 2015, out of 31,846 in the municipality.
Karlshamn received a Royal Charter and city privileges in 1664, when King Charles X ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
. The same year, her first full-length eponymous album was released by
Polskie Nagrania Muza
Polskie Nagrania "Muza" ("Polish Records 'Muse' ", official name since 2005: "Polskie Nagrania Sp. z o.o", i.e., Polskie Nagrania Ltd.) is a Polish record label based in Warsaw. It has produced records in many genres including pop, rock, jazz, fol ...
, which consisted of material written by
Maciej Zembaty
Maciej Zembaty (16 May 194427 June 2011) was a Polish artist, writer, journalist, singer, poet and comedian. Despite being considered one of the classics of Polish black humour, he is perhaps best known as a translator and populariser of songs and ...
,
John Porter John Porter may refer to:
Politicians
* John Porter (portreeve), 1390–94, Member of Parliament (MP) for Taunton
* John Porter (Illinois politician) (1935–2022), Illinois politician, U.S. Representative
* John Porter (MP for Bramber) (died 1599 ...
and Neil Black, yet originally intended for another artist. The label did little to promote the record, leading to its commercial failure, and today Kayah does not include it in her official discography. The singer tried to terminate the hastily-signed, disadvantageous record deal, which she has described as "incapacitating", and eventually succeeded.
1990s
In 1991, the English language version of Kayah's debut album was released by
Rogot without her consent. The singer relocated to Vienna where she briefly worked as a model. In the early 1990s, she also contributed backing vocals for such artists as
De Mono,
Grzegorz Ciechowski
Grzegorz Zbigniew Ciechowski (29 August 1957 – 22 December 2001) was a Polish rock musician and film music composer.
Ciechowski was born in Tczew. He was the founder and frontman of the band Republika, which was one of Poland's most popula ...
and
Paweł Stasiak
Paweł Stasiak, also known as Pablosson (born 19 November 1967), is a Polish singer. He is currently the lead singer of musical group Papa D, a revival of the band Papa Dance from the 1980s, of which he was also the lead singer.
Biography
As a c ...
. In 1993, she appeared in a self-written song "Mówili o mnie" on a live album by Polish band
Republika. In 1994, she performed her song "Ja chcę ciebie" at the Opole Festival where she received a special award, and at the Baltic Song Contest where she came second.
Her first self-written and co-produced solo album, ''
Kamień'', was released in November 1995 by Zic Zac and
BMG Poland
BMG Poland Sp. z o.o., was a Polish subsidiary of BMG founded in 1993 in Warsaw.
In 1996 BMG Poland purchased independent label Zic Zac owned by musician Marek Kościkiewicz of De Mono. At the time Zic Zac had 10% share on Polish music market wit ...
. It consisted of melancholy
pop songs, influenced by
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
and
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
. The album included the popular single "Fleciki" and was an unexpected commercial success, earning
gold certification
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
in Poland. It was also nominated to the
Fryderyk
The Fryderyk is the annual award in Polish music. Its name refers to the original Polish spelling variant of Polish composer Frédéric Chopin's first name. Its status in the Polish public can be compared to the American Grammy and the UK's BRI ...
award as the Pop Album of the Year and Kayah herself won in the Female Vocalist of the Year category. In March 1997, she released the album ''
Zebra
Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. zeb ...
'', heavily inspired by soul,
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
and
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
music of the 70s. It was promoted by two singles, "Na językach" and "Supermenka", which both reached the top of the
Polish airplay chart. The latter's
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
featured a guest appearance by
Ice-T. ''Zebra'' was a critical and commercial success, quickly receiving platinum certification and selling over 200,000 copies. It was awarded with a Fryderyk for the Pop Album of the Year and Kayah received awards for the Composer, Author, and Female Vocalist of the Year. Later in 1997, Kayah released the duet "Uwierz... to nie ja" with Polish singer
Urszula Urszula may refer to:
*Franciszka Urszula Radziwiłłowa (1705–1753), Polish-Lithuania-Belarusian noble dramatist and writer
*Urszula Augustyn (born 1964), Polish politician
*Urszula Dudziak (born 1943), Polish jazz vocalist
*Urszula Gacek (born ...
which also became a hit.
In 1998, Kayah hosted the TV show ''To było grane'' on the newly launched Polish channel
TVN TVN may refer to:
* TVN (Australian TV channel), a former horse racing channel
* Televisión Nacional de Chile, a public broadcaster
* TVN (Indonesia), a former television station; predecessor of Rajawali Televisi
* TVN (Norway), or TVNorge, a comm ...
. She also met the
Yugoslav musician
Goran Bregović
Goran Bregović (born 22 March 1950) is a recording artist from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is one of the most internationally known modern musicians and composers of the Slavic-speaking countries in the Balkans, and is one of the few former Yugo ...
with whom she went on to record a collaborative album, ''
Kayah i Bregović
''Kayah i Bregović'' is a studio album by Yugoslav musician Goran Bregović and Polish singer Kayah, released in 1999 by Zic Zac and BMG Poland. The album was a major commercial and critical success in Poland, spawning the hits "Śpij kochanie, ...
'', released in April 1999. It consisted of various songs from Bregović's repertoire to which Kayah wrote Polish lyrics and musically was a blend of
Balkan music
Balkan music is a type of music found in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. The music is characterised by complex rhythm. Famous bands in Balkan music include Taraf de Haïdouks, Fanfare Ciocărlia, and No Smoking Orchestra.
Historical ...
and
Polish folk. The first two singles released from the album, "Śpij kochanie, śpij" and "Prawy do lewego", became major hits in Poland and the record itself went on to sell in excess of 700,000 copies which earned it a diamond certification. The album received a Fryderyk for the Pop Album of the Year and Kayah once again won as the Best Female Artist award. Following its nationwide success in Poland,
BMG BMG may refer to:
Organizations
* Music publishing companies:
** Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008
*** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that wa ...
decided to distribute the album in a number of European countries.
2000s
Kayah's next solo album, ''
JakaJaKayah'', was released in May 2000 and incorporated elements of soul,
world
In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
and
electronic music
Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
. The lead single "JakaJaKayah" met with considerable success in Poland and was the first music video aired on
MTV Polska
MTV Polska is the Polish-language version of the general entertainment channel MTV. It was launched on July 7, 2000, replacing local music channel Atomic TV. The channel is operated by Paramount Networks EMEAA from its headquarters in Warsaw.
Th ...
. The album received favourable reviews, got a nomination to the Pop Album of the Year Fryderyk award, and was certified platinum in Poland for selling over 100,000 copies. In 2001, its special edition was released, featuring the new single "Embarcação" recorded with
Cape Verdean singer
Cesária Évora
Cesária Évora GCIH (; 27 August 194117 December 2011), more commonly known as Cize, was a Cape Verdean singer-songwriter. She received a Grammy Award in 2004 for her album '' Voz d'Amor''. Nicknamed the "Barefoot Diva" for performing withou ...
. The album was then released internationally as ''YakaYaKayah'' with English language versions of some of the songs. Kayah also contributed the self-written song "Wiosna przyjdzie i tak" to Polish film ''
Przedwiośnie''. In 2002, she featured on
Michał Żebrowski
Michał Jan Żebrowski (born 17 June 1972) is a Polish actor and singer. He was the first actor to portray Geralt of Rivia
Geralt of Rivia ( pl, Geralt z Rivii) is a fictional character and the protagonist of ''The Witcher'' series of short sto ...
's album ''Poczytaj mi tato 2'' in the song "Dobry potwór nie jest zły".
![Kayah2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Kayah2.jpg)
In August 2003, Kayah released ''
Stereo typ'', an album incorporating soul, funk and club music. The first single, "Testosteron", was another major hit for the singer, reaching number 2 in the Polish airplay chart. The album debuted at number 1 in the
Polish albums sales chart, was certified gold by ZPAV, and received three nominations to the Fryderyk award. In 2004, Kayah contributed the theme song to the Polish version of the animated film ''
Brother Bear
''Brother Bear'' is a 2003 American animated musical fantasy comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 44th Disney animated feature film, it was directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Wa ...
'' and recorded the song "Prócz ciebie, nic" with
Krzysztof Kiljański
Krzysztof () is a Polish given name, equivalent to English ''Christopher''. The name became popular in the 15th century. Its diminutive forms include Krzyś, Krzysiek, and Krzysio; augmentative – Krzychu
Individuals named Krzysztof may choose to ...
which was another major hit, reaching the top of the airplay chart. By that time, she had co-founded her own record label,
Kayax
Kayax Production & Publishing Sp. z o.o. is an independent Polish entertainment company that operates a record label, music publisher, management and concert agency. It was founded by singer Kayah and her business partner, musician Tomasz Grewińs ...
, and went on to release acclaimed albums by niche and avantgarde artists.
The singer released her first compilation in April 2005, ''
The Best & the Rest'', a 2-disc set featuring all of her greatest hits, including the new popular single "Jutro rano", as well as less popular tracks. It entered the Polish chart at number 1 and was certified gold. The compilation fulfilled Kayah's contract with
Sony BMG Music Entertainment Poland
Sony BMG Music Entertainment Poland Sp. z o.o., was a Polish subsidiary of Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Label was founded in 2004 after BMG Poland merged with Sony Music Entertainment Poland. In 2008 after BMG was brought by Sony Music corporatio ...
and the singer effectively parted ways with the label. In late 2006, she released the
EP with
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject ma ...
''Kolędy śpiewa Kayah'' and became the first artist in
East-Central Europe
East Central Europe is the region between Germanic languages, Germanic, West Slavic languages, West Slavic, and Hungarian language, Hungarian-speaking Europe and the East Slavs, East Slavic countries of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. Those lands a ...
to perform an acoustic concert as part of the ''
MTV Unplugged
''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...
'' series. The recording from the event was released in March 2007 as live CD and DVD ''
MTV Unplugged
''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...
'', which reached number 4 in the albums chart and received gold certification. She also curated the compilation ''Music 4 Boys & Gays'' to support the Polish
LGBT community
The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, gay community, or queer community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay men, gay, bisexuality, bisexual, transgender, and other queer individuals united by a comm ...
. In late 2008, Kayah released the Christmas single "Ding dong". Her first full-length studio album in six years, ''
Skała
Skała is a town in southern Poland, situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship (since 1999), previously in Kraków Voivodeship (1975–1998). On December 31, 2010, its population was 3,646.
Skala is one of the oldest town of Lesser Poland. In t ...
'', was released by Kayax in September 2009, and musically continued her 1995 album's soul and jazz sound. It was the singer's another number 1 album in Poland
and was certified gold shortly after the premiere.
2010s
2010 saw the release of two collaboration albums: ''Kayah & Royal Quartet'' with
Royal String Quartet in March, consisting mostly of
string
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
interpretations of some of Kayah's songs, and ''Panienki z temperamentem'' with
Renata Przemyk in November, which included
covers of songs by
Kabaret Starszych Panów
Kabaret Starszych Panów (''Elderly Gentlemen's Cabaret'') was a Polish satirical cabaret (Polish term for revue) made for TV in the late 1950s to mid-1960s . Numerous leading actors and performers participated in its episodes. The hosts and produ ...
. The former was certified gold and the latter reached the top 10 in the Polish albums chart.
In spring 2011, she released the standalone single "Za późno" which was a top 5 airplay hit in Poland, and took part in the TV talent show ''
The Voice of Poland
''The Voice of Poland'' is a Polish reality talent show that premiered on September 3, 2011, on the TVP 2 television network. ''The Voice of Poland'' is part of the international syndication ''The Voice'' based on the reality singing competition ...
'', a Polish version of ''
The Voice
The Voice may refer to:
Fictional entities
* The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics
* The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe
* The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
'', as a member of the judging panel.
In 2012, Kayah performed at the
Festival of Jewish Culture in Warsaw
Festival of Jewish Culture in Warsaw – "Singer's Warsaw" is an annual celebration of Jewish culture that has been held in Warsaw since 2004.
The Festival includes Jewish (both Hebrew and Yiddish) theater, music, films, exhibits and expositions. ...
, collaborating with
Bulgarian
Bulgarian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria
* Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group
* Bulgarian language, a Slavic language
* Bulgarian alphabet
* A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria
* Bul ...
composer Atanas Valkov and various musicians of Polish,
Ukrainian
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* So ...
and
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
origins. The event resulted in the album ''
Transoriental Orchestra'', released in November 2013, on which the singer performed traditional
Jewish songs
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...
from different regions of Europe and the Middle East in a range of languages. The album was certified platinum in Poland and Kayah went on to tour the material in Poland, Israel and Spain, among others. Also in 2013, she was honoured with the
Order of Polonia Restituta
The Order of Polonia Restituta ( pl, Order Odrodzenia Polski, en, Order of Restored Poland) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on al ...
for "outstanding contributions to Polish culture and achievements in artistic and creative work". In 2014, she performed at a concert in Warsaw commemorating the 10th anniversary of
Poland's accession to the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
and an event in Opole marking the 25th anniversary of
Poland's 1989 partially democratic election. In 2015, she re-issued her breakthrough album ''Kamień'' to mark its 20th anniversary and embarked on a commemorative tour.
![Kayah 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Kayah_2.jpg)
In November 2016, the singer released ''Gdy pada śnieg'', an album consisting of traditional
Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French ori ...
s and two new songs co-written by herself. The album reached number 7 in the Polish chart.
She teamed up with
Israeli
Israeli may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel
* Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel
* Modern Hebrew, a language
* ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008
* Guni Israeli ...
musician
Idan Raichel
Idan Raichel ( he, עידן רייכל, ; b. 12 September 1977) is an Israeli singer-songwriter and musician known for his "Idan Raichel Project" (Hebrew: ), distinctive for its fusion of electronics, traditional Hebrew texts, and diverse mus ...
on the single "Po co", released in spring 2017, which was a top 3 airplay hit in Poland. In autumn, she went on tour with
Goran Bregović
Goran Bregović (born 22 March 1950) is a recording artist from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is one of the most internationally known modern musicians and composers of the Slavic-speaking countries in the Balkans, and is one of the few former Yugo ...
and released the single "Podatek od miłości" with
Grzegorz Hyży
Grzegorz Hyży (born 27 May 1987, Gniezno) is a Polish singer-songwriter, who rose to fame after finishing as the runner-up in the third series of ''X Factor'' in 2013. He is currently signed to Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), al ...
to promote film of the same name. The song reached number 5 in the airplay chart. She also started hosting her own radio show ''Tu i teraz'' on
Meloradio. In 2018, Kayah released the project "Czarna polana" on which she collaborated with Atanas Valkov and director
Tomasz Bagiński
Tomasz "Tomek" Bagiński (, born 10 January 1976 in Białystok) is a Polish illustrator, animator, producer and director. He is a self-taught artist.
Education
Bagiński studied architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology. Works
His firs ...
. She also featured on the tribute album to
Józef Tischner
Józef Stanisław Tischner (12 March 1931 – 28 June 2000) was a Polish priest and philosopher. The first chaplain of the trade union, " Solidarity" (Polish ''Solidarność'').
Life
Tischner was born in Stary Sącz to a Góral family and gr ...
titled ''Tischner. Mocna nuta'' and the posthumous
Zbigniew Wodecki
Zbigniew Stanisław Wodecki (; 6 May 1950 – 22 May 2017) was a Polish singer, musician, composer, actor and TV presenter.
Early life and career
He was born on 6 May 1950 in Godów, Poland. He started to play the violin at the age of fiv ...
album ''Dobrze, że jesteś''. In 2019, she released the single "Dawaj w długą" which was a moderate chart success.
2020s
In early 2020, Kayah released the single "Ramię w ramię" with teenage singer
Viki Gabor
Wiktoria "Viki" Gabor (born 10 July 2007) is a Polish singer. She began her career in 2019, as a runner-up on the second season of '' The Voice Kids Poland'', and then later won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song " Superhero". ...
which reached number 4 in the airplay chart. Later that year, she duetted with
Mery Spolsky on the song "Królestwo kobiet" promoting Polish TV series of the same name. She also guest featured in songs by various Polish artists: "Przejazdem" by
Pectus, "Kocham cię" by
Maria Sadowska
Maria Sadowska (born 27 June 1976 in Warsaw),Filmpolski.plMaria Sadowska also credited as Marysia SadowskaTopClub.plMarysia Sadowska or simply as Marysia, is a Polish pop singer, music producer, screenwriterRMF FMMarysia Sadowska and film direct ...
, and "Nisko jest niebo" by
Pezet
''For the French politician, see Michel Pezet.''
Jan Paweł Kapliński (, born April 18, 1980), better known by his stage name Pezet (), is a Polish rapper. In 1998, he debuted with Onar in Płomień 81 and they released three albums. He starte ...
. In 2021, Kayah released the song "Nie dzielcie nas" with Krzysztof Iwaneczko and teamed up with Nick Sinckler on the dance single "Kochaj różnym być". Later that year, she released the duet "Pod powieką" with
Natalia Kukulska
Natalia Maria Kukulska (born March 3, 1976) is a Polish singer performing pop and R&B music, turning towards alternative electronica in the 2010s. She debuted as a child singer in 1986, and released her first "adult" solo album in 1996. Her mos ...
, based on
Chopin's "
Prelude in E minor".
Personal life
On 5 August 1998, Kayah married Dutch-Polish TV producer Rinke Rooyens and gave birth to their son, Roch, on 1 December 1998. They separated in 2002 and eventually divorced in 2010. From 2005 to 2009, her partner was
Sebastian Karpiel-Bułecka, the leader of Polish band
Zakopower
Zakopower is a Polish Goral folk music group. It is named after Zakopane, the hometown of its lead singer.
Awards
* 2008 - Fryderyk award for Folk Album of the Year
* 2008 - National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, Grand Prix . The singer then was in a four-year relationship with
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
ese musician Pako Sarr, to whom she was reportedly engaged and planned to marry,
but the couple eventually broke up in 2015. Since 2017, her partner is Polish financier Jarosław Grzywiński.
Kayah is
vegetarian
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter.
Vegetarianism m ...
. In 2006, she started studying
Kabbalah
Kabbalah ( he, קַבָּלָה ''Qabbālā'', literally "reception, tradition") is an esoteric method, discipline and Jewish theology, school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ( ''Məqūbbāl'' "rece ...
.
Discography
* 1988: ''Kayah''
* 1995: ''
Kamień''
* 1997: ''
Zebra
Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. zeb ...
''
* 1999: ''
Kayah i Bregović
''Kayah i Bregović'' is a studio album by Yugoslav musician Goran Bregović and Polish singer Kayah, released in 1999 by Zic Zac and BMG Poland. The album was a major commercial and critical success in Poland, spawning the hits "Śpij kochanie, ...
''
(with Goran Bregović
Goran Bregović (born 22 March 1950) is a recording artist from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is one of the most internationally known modern musicians and composers of the Slavic-speaking countries in the Balkans, and is one of the few former Yugo ...
)
* 2000: ''
JakaJaKayah''
* 2003: ''
Stereo typ''
* 2005: ''
The Best & the Rest''
* 2006: ''Kolędy śpiewa Kayah''
* 2007: ''
MTV Unplugged
''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...
''
* 2009: ''
Skała
Skała is a town in southern Poland, situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship (since 1999), previously in Kraków Voivodeship (1975–1998). On December 31, 2010, its population was 3,646.
Skala is one of the oldest town of Lesser Poland. In t ...
''
* 2010: ''Kayah & Royal Quartet''
(with Royal String Quartet)
* 2010: ''Panienki z temperamentem''
(with Renata Przemyk)
* 2013: ''
Transoriental Orchestra''
* 2016: ''Gdy pada śnieg''
Filmography and TV work
; Feature films
* 2006: ''
Dublerzy'' – as Maria Corazzi
* 2009: ''Piksele''
* 2019: ''Zabawa, zabawa''
; TV series
* 2005: ''
Niania
Niania is a Polish comedy television series directed by Jerzy Bogajewicz, which aired on TVN (Polish TV channel), TVN from 10 September 2005 to 24 October 2009. It was based on the American original The Nanny licensed by CBS, which aired in the ...
'' – as herself
* 2006: ''Dublerzy'' – as Maria Corazzi
* 2016: ''
Druga szansa''
; TV shows
* 1998: ''To było grane'' – host
* 2008: ''Fabryka gwiazd'' – jury
* 2011: ''
The Voice of Poland
''The Voice of Poland'' is a Polish reality talent show that premiered on September 3, 2011, on the TVP 2 television network. ''The Voice of Poland'' is part of the international syndication ''The Voice'' based on the reality singing competition ...
'' – coach
Awards
* 1988: Audience award at the
Baltic Song Contest for the song "Córeczko"
* 1993: Second place at the
Sopot International Song Festival
The Sopot International Song Festival or Sopot Festival (later called ''Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix'', ''Sopot Top of the Top Festival'' from 2012–13 and ''Polsat Sopot Festival'' in 2014) is an annual international song contest held in So ...
for the song "Liść"
* 1996:
Fryderyk
The Fryderyk is the annual award in Polish music. Its name refers to the original Polish spelling variant of Polish composer Frédéric Chopin's first name. Its status in the Polish public can be compared to the American Grammy and the UK's BRI ...
for the Best Female Singer
* 1998: Fryderyk for the Best Female Singer
* 1998: Fryderyk for the Best Composer
* 1998: Fryderyk for the Best Author
* 1998: Fryderyk for the Best Pop Album (''
Zebra
Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. zeb ...
'')
* 2000: Fryderyk for the Best Female Singer
* 2000: Fryderyk for the Best Pop Album (''
Kayah i Bregović
''Kayah i Bregović'' is a studio album by Yugoslav musician Goran Bregović and Polish singer Kayah, released in 1999 by Zic Zac and BMG Poland. The album was a major commercial and critical success in Poland, spawning the hits "Śpij kochanie, ...
'')
* 2000: Best Album award in the
Machinery '99 contest for ''Kayah i Bregović''
* 2000: Best Female Singer award in the Superjedynki contest
* 2000: Best Pop Album award in the Superjedynki contest for ''Kayah i Bregović''
* 2000: Hit of the Year award in the Superjedynki contest for the song "Śpij kochanie, śpij"
References
External links
Official siteKayahat
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kayah
1967 births
Artists from Białystok
Living people
Musicians from Warsaw
Polish folk singers
Polish jazz singers
Polish people of Jewish descent
Polish pop singers
Polish soul singers
Polish women singers
World music singers