Marek Grechuta 20 years after his death: the illness behind the stage difficulties
Today marks 20 years since Marek Grechuta's death, and Interia Muzyka has recalled his story. I'd like to summarise that text, because it shows the artist from a less familiar side.
Grechuta died on 9 October 2006 in Kraków, aged 60, of heart failure. He was buried in the Avenue of Distinguished Men at the Rakowicki Cemetery. His music combined poetry with song, jazz, rock and classical instruments. Among his best-known songs are “Dni, których nie znamy”, “Niepewność”, “Będziesz moją panią” and “Wiosna, ach to ty”.
He moved to Kraków from Zamość to study architecture. In 1966 he co-founded the architecture student cabaret Anawa with Jan Kanty Pawluśkiewicz, which later became his band. Their 1970 debut album, “Marek Grechuta & Anawa”, included “Nie dokazuj”, “Niepewność” and “Będziesz moją panią”. With the group WIEM (“W Innej Epoce Muzycznej”) he explored jazz on the albums “Droga za widnokres” and “Magia obłoków”.
Most attention has gone to his illness. Grechuta suffered from bipolar disorder, and difficult periods affected his work and performances. He sometimes interrupted or cancelled concerts and forgot lyrics. Some observers blamed alcohol, but his relatives denied this. In Marta Sztokfisz's book “Chwile, których nie znamy”, Magda Umer describes how hard it was to work with him in bad periods, and the only person who endured his anxieties was his wife Danuta, whom he married in 1970. Kora recalls the stress of tours and his sensitivity to criticism.
In 2006, shortly before his death, he received the Grand Prix for lifetime achievement at the Opole festival. For me, this story changes the way I listen to his songs: there was much more beneath the calm.
Source: Interia Muzyka
Grechuta died on 9 October 2006 in Kraków, aged 60, of heart failure. He was buried in the Avenue of Distinguished Men at the Rakowicki Cemetery. His music combined poetry with song, jazz, rock and classical instruments. Among his best-known songs are “Dni, których nie znamy”, “Niepewność”, “Będziesz moją panią” and “Wiosna, ach to ty”.
He moved to Kraków from Zamość to study architecture. In 1966 he co-founded the architecture student cabaret Anawa with Jan Kanty Pawluśkiewicz, which later became his band. Their 1970 debut album, “Marek Grechuta & Anawa”, included “Nie dokazuj”, “Niepewność” and “Będziesz moją panią”. With the group WIEM (“W Innej Epoce Muzycznej”) he explored jazz on the albums “Droga za widnokres” and “Magia obłoków”.
Most attention has gone to his illness. Grechuta suffered from bipolar disorder, and difficult periods affected his work and performances. He sometimes interrupted or cancelled concerts and forgot lyrics. Some observers blamed alcohol, but his relatives denied this. In Marta Sztokfisz's book “Chwile, których nie znamy”, Magda Umer describes how hard it was to work with him in bad periods, and the only person who endured his anxieties was his wife Danuta, whom he married in 1970. Kora recalls the stress of tours and his sensitivity to criticism.
In 2006, shortly before his death, he received the Grand Prix for lifetime achievement at the Opole festival. For me, this story changes the way I listen to his songs: there was much more beneath the calm.
Source: Interia Muzyka
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