Czesław Niemen
Czesław Niemen (Polish t͡ʂɛswaf ɲemɛn; born February 16, 1939 in Stare Wasiliszki at Nowogródek, Poland, now Belarus, † January 17, 2004 in Warsaw ) Czesław Juliusz civil Wydrzycki, was one of the most important and original Polish singer- songwriters of the 20. century. He was elected in 1999 in a poll of Polityka of 60 percent of the participants to the most important national artists.
Life
Niemen was born Czesław Juliusz Wydrzycki. At 20 he moved with his family from Belarus to Gdansk, and began to study music there. His career as a rock singer, he started in the early 1960s with songs in the style of the Beatles, including as a member of the band Niebiesko - Czarni. Much like the Beatles attended gentle love songs in the beat style and romantic ballads for the first big successes, but in the course of the 1960s, his style became more complex and the lyrics spoke to especially young students. So he impressed already in the 1960s, Marlene Dietrich, who was on tour in Poland, with one of his songs so much that she decided to record a song from him in their repertoire. She herself wrote the German lyrics to Czy mnie jeszcze pamiętasz. The song was called Mother, do you forgive me.
Niemens first solo album was released in 1967 and contained the largest ever protest song and the anthem of the then Polish youth Dziwny jest ten świat ( English version: Strange is the World). This album also took care of his breakthrough on the international rock business. In 1968 he signed a recording contract with CBS and went for two years to Milan.
As Niemens major work published in 1970 is considered the album Enigmatic, a work which he has dedicated to the memory of the Polish national hero General Józef Bem. With the sixteen minute piece Bema pamięci żałobny - rapsod Niemen managed a surprising synthesis of traditional church music and avant-garde rock music. This album revealed a deeply religious, rooted in the history of his native Poland artist. Enigmatic became a milestone in Polish music history and is still regarded as the "best Polish rock record of all time " ( Tylko skirt).
Early 1970s developed his musical style Niemen further towards psychedelic rock and electronic. Above all, his recordings with the band SBB singled out this time. He set to music classic Polish poetry of Norwid or Juliusz Słowacki. In 1974 he recorded an album with musicians from the U.S. fusion scene, so with Rick Laird and Jan Hammer, Steve Khan and John Abercrombie.
Niemen gave concerts including France, Italy, Germany, India and in England; so in 1972 the Summer Olympics in Munich, in 1973 in Dresden, here together with LGT, Collegium Musicum and SOK, 1976 DT -64 concert in East Berlin and in 1984, again in East Berlin during the Festival of Political Song. A film report, which was rotated about this performance by Konrad Weiss at DEFA, was banned by the SED. His songs have been played by international radio stations.
In the 1980s and 1990s, he composed numerous film scores, including Andrzej Wajda's film for Night Drive ( The Wedding ). He went further on with concerts and was considered a living legend of Polish rock music. He worked in his last years in addition to the composition with painting and graphics.
Czesław Niemen died of cancer.
Remain Niemens albums that are mainly characterized by its extraordinary voice that touch him emotionally through a wide range and intonation difficulties that also appeal to people who are not of the Polish language.
Honors
In June 2009, the National Bank of Poland were three commemorative coins to honor Niemens out: two coins with the face value 10 zloty in sterling silver and one coin of the denomination 2 zloty in Nordic Gold.
Others
Niemens Song Sen o Warszawie ( keep dreaming ' of Warsaw) is considered the unofficial anthem of the Polish capital in general and the football club Legia Warsaw in particular. From its followers the song is sung before each game.
Discography
Studio albums
Concert albums
- 2007: 41 Potencjometrów Pana Jana
- 2007: Srebrne dzwony
- 2009: Kattorna JJ72 / Pamflet na ludzkość JJ75 (2 CDs)
- 2011: Terra Deflorata, live concert in Szczecin, November 23, 1984; incl Bonus CD: Live in Berlin 1986
Compilations
Mini albums
Singles
Audio
Albums that Czesław Niemen are dedicated
- 2007: Niemen a cappella by PRO FORMA
- 2009: Niemen Improwizacje of Artur Dutkiewicz
- 2009: Dziwny ten świat - Opowiesc Niemenem by Janusz Radek
- 2012: W hołdzie mistrzowi Stanisław Soyka