Irena Santor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Irena Santor
Order of Polonia Restituta
Gold Gloria Artis Medal |
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Irena Santor, 2016
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Irena Wiśniewska
9 December 1934 Papowo Biskupie, Poland
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| Occupation | Singer, actress |
| Years active | 1949–2021 |
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Irena Santor is a very famous Polish singer and actress. She was born on December 9, 1934, as Irena Wiśniewska. She is known for her beautiful, clear voice. Many people see her as one of Poland's biggest music stars, and she has inspired many younger singers.
Irena Santor started her singing career in 1950. From 1951 to 1959, she was the main singer for a famous Polish folk group called Mazowsze. With this group, she traveled and performed all over the world. After leaving Mazowsze, she began a successful solo career. She has won many awards in Poland and other countries.
Irena Santor also acted in movies and appeared on many TV and radio shows. She was a judge on talent shows and singing competitions. She even recorded songs for Polish and Soviet films. In 2017, she became the first singer in Poland to receive an honorary doctorate for her amazing achievements. In 2021, she announced that she was ending her professional singing career.
Contents
Early Life and Discovering Her Talent
Irena Wiśniewska was born on December 9, 1934, in a small town called Papowo Biskupie in northern Poland. She spent her childhood in Solec Kujawski. When World War II started in 1939, her father was sadly killed. Her mother worked as a seamstress to support them.
After the war, Irena and her mother moved to Polanica-Zdrój, a health resort. Irena went to a school where she learned about glass decoration. Her teachers quickly noticed her amazing singing talent. By the late 1940s, they encouraged her to enter singing competitions.
Her Amazing Music Career
In 1950, Irena met Zdzisław Górzyński, a well-known director from the Grand Theatre, Poznań. He was very impressed by her voice. He suggested she meet Tadeusz Sygietyński, who created and managed the famous folk group Mazowsze.
Irena auditioned for Mazowsze and was accepted! She agreed to take singing lessons from an opera singer named Wanda Wermińska. After her mother passed away that same year, Irena moved to Karolin, where she finished music school.
Singing with Mazowsze
Irena became the main singer for the Mazowsze folk group. She appeared in the first Polish color movie, Przygoda na Mariensztacie (1953), and recorded songs for its soundtrack with the group. Throughout the 1950s, she traveled the world with Mazowsze, performing for many important people. One of her most popular songs from this time was Ej, przeleciał ptaszek, which was an old folk song.
Starting a Solo Career
After getting married, Irena Santor left the Mazowsze group to start her own solo singing career. She became incredibly popular and released many albums. In 2019, she celebrated 60 years of her career with a special concert tour called "Jubilee, I sing, therefore I am."
Her Personal Life
In 1958, Irena married Stanisław Santor, who was a violinist in the Mazowsze group. They divorced after 19 years but remained good friends until he passed away in 1999. Later, she had a partner named Zbigniew Korpolewski, whom she met in the 1990s. He passed away in 2018.
Her Music Albums
Irena Santor has released many albums throughout her long career. Here are some of them:
- Rendez-vous z I. Santor (1961)
- W krainie piosenki (1963)
- Dzień dobry piosenko (1964)
- Halo Warszawo (1965)
- Piosenki stare jak świat (1966)
- Powrócisz tu (1967)
- Zapamiętaj, że to ja (1969)
- Wśród nocnej ciszy (1969)
- Dla ciebie śpiewa Irena Santor (1970)
- Moja Warszawa (1972)
- Z tobą na zawsze (1972)
- Witaj gwiazdko złota (1972)
- Jubileusz (1973)
- Irena Santor (1976)
- Baśnie Andersena w piosence (1978)
- Irena Santor (1978)
- Telegram miłości (1979)
- C.D.N. (1982)
- Przeboje pana Stanisława (1982)
- Irena Santor w piosenkach Ryszarda Szeremety (1985)
- Biegnie czas (1990)
- Trzeba marzyć (1992)
- Gdy się Chrystus rodzi (1992)
- Piosenki stare jak świat (1993)
- Warszawa ja i ty (1993)
- Miło wspomnieć (1993)
- Złote przeboje (1994)
- Wiara przenosi góry (1995)
- Duety (1996)
- Tych lat nie odda nikt (1997)
- Baśnie Andersena (1997)
- Przeboje Moniuszki (1998)
- Moje Piosenki (1998–2001) – a series of thirteen records with all previous recordings
- Embarras. Złota Kolekcja (1999)
- Santor Cafe (2000)
- Kolory mojej Warszawy (2CD) (2002)
- Jeszcze (2002)
- Tych lat nie odda nikt. Złota Kolekcja (2004)
- Duety / Santor Cafe (2004)
- Embarras / Tych lat nie odda nikt. Złota Kolekcja 10 lat (2008)
- Urodziny Ireny Santor (2010)
- 40 piosenek Ireny Santor, CD1 (2009)
- Kręci mnie ten świat (2010)
- 40 piosenek Ireny Santor, CD2 (2011)
- Delicje z Podwieczorków przy mikrofonie, CD1 (2013)
- Delicje z Podwieczorków przy mikrofonie, CD2 (2013)
- Delicje z Podwieczorków przy mikrofonie, CD3 (2013)
- Zamyślenia (2014)
- Punkt widzenia (2014)
Awards and Honors
Irena Santor has received many important awards and honors for her contributions to music and culture:
- 1962: Won "Best Singer" from Express Wieczoru.
- 1963: Won "Best Singer" again from Express Wieczoru.
- 1966: Won "Singer of the Year" from the Polish Diaspora Award.
- 1966: Won an award at the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole for her song Powrócisz tu.
- 1969: Received a "Gold Record" for her album Piosenki stare jak świat.
- 1970: Received a "Gold Record" for her album Zapamiętaj, że to ja.
- 1971: Received a "Gold Record" for her album Wśród nocnej ciszy.
- 1973: Received a "Gold Record" for her album Z tobą na zawsze.
- 1974: Awarded the Silver Cross of Merit.
- 1976: Awarded the Gold Cross of Merit.
- 1998: Received the Order of Polonia Restituta for her amazing work in Polish culture.
- 2007: Awarded the Gold Fryderyk for her achievements in music.
- 2008: Received the Order of the Smile, an award given by children.
- 2013: Became an Honorary citizen of Warsaw.
