Topics of coins
Grzegorz Ciechowski
Grzegorz Ciechowski (29 August 1957–22 December
2001) – the most outstanding poet of the Polish
rock music, composer, music producer, musician,
leader and frontman of Republika rock band.
He performed solo as Obywatel G.C. and Grzegorz
z Ciechowa. He started as a poet, but turned
to music in search for a stronger form of
communication for his literary work. In 1980,
he debuted with his first volume of poems,
however, it was the first concerts with Republika,
played around that time, that set the path of
Ciechowski’s further development as an artist.
The artistic work of Grzegorz Ciechowski
continued since then - only for 21 years - yielded
a number best-selling albums. A true visionary,
he proved consistently successful, whatever
artistic impersonation he assumed. Founded
by Ciechowski, Republika was the precursor of
the so-called new wave on the Polish musical
stage. Such musical pieces as “Biała flaga”
(White flag) or “Kombinat” (Industrial Plant),
despite the passage of time, continue to carry
a valid and current message. Thanks to remarkable
music and the lyrics telling the story of
oppression and lack of freedom in the reality
of a totalitarian state, Republika gained legions
of fans in 1980s. In the period when he performed
solo - under the artistic name of Obywatel G.C. -
he wrote next musical pieces of key importance
for the Polish musical stage, and brought to it new
artistic quality. His second solo album “Tak!Tak!”
(Yes!Yes!), the first ever album released in Poland
on a CD, besides the title song, brought a very
special song entitled “Nie pytaj o Polskę” (Don’t
ask about Poland). Ciechowski soon started to
work on film music and became a music producer
for other artists. At that time, he cooperated with
Mona Mur and Dieter Meier, the co-founder of the
Swiss band Yello. Later on, Ciechowski produced,
among others, the debut albums of Kasia Kowalska,
Justyna Steczkowska. He was the precursor of the
comeback of folk music; in 1996, using the stage
name Grzegorz z Ciechowa, he released the
album entitled “OjDADAna”, infused with the
sounds of Polish folk music. Grzegorz Ciechowski
died suddenly on 22 December 2001 after a long
and complicated heart surgery.
Przemysław Wałczuk