Urszula Dudziak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Urszula Dudziak
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Urszula Dudziak in 2021
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Urszula Bogumiła Dudziak |
| Born | 22 October 1943 Straconka, German-occupied Poland |
| Genres | Vocal jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist |
| Years active | 1958–present |
| Labels | Inner City, Kayax |
| Associated acts | Krzysztof Komeda, Gil Evans, Archie Shepp, Lester Bowie |
Urszula Dudziak is a famous Polish jazz singer. She was born on October 22, 1943. Urszula is known for her unique singing style, often using her voice like an instrument instead of singing words. She has worked with many well-known musicians, including Krzysztof Komeda and Gil Evans. In 2007, her song "Papaya" from the 1970s became very popular in Asia and Latin America.
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Urszula Dudziak's Music Journey
Urszula Dudziak was born in a place called Straconka, which is now part of Bielsko-Biała, Poland. She first learned to play the piano. However, in the late 1950s, she started singing after listening to records by the legendary jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald.
Within a few years, Urszula became one of the most popular jazz artists in Poland. She met and later married another musician, Michał Urbaniak. In the late 1960s, they began to perform outside of Poland. In the 1970s, they moved to New York City in the United States.
Her Unique Singing Style
Urszula Dudziak often sings without using actual words. Instead, she uses her voice to create sounds and melodies. This style is much more creative than regular scat, which is a type of jazz singing where singers improvise with nonsense syllables.
Urszula has an amazing five-octave vocal range, meaning she can sing very high and very low notes. She also uses electronic devices to change her voice and make even more interesting sounds. She has performed with many important musicians like Archie Shepp and Lester Bowie. She was also part of a group called Vocal Summit, which included other great singers like Bobby McFerrin.
In 2009, Urszula Dudziak received a special award called the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta from the President of Poland, Lech Kaczyński. This award recognized her important contributions to music.
The "Papaya" Dance Craze
In 2007, Urszula Dudziak's song "Papaya," which was first released in the 1970s, became very popular again. This happened in the Philippines when it was played regularly on a TV game show called Pilipinas, Game Ka Na Ba?
The song had been a favorite for dancers in the 1970s. When a TV host started dancing to "Papaya" on the show, the dance quickly spread. It became popular not only in the Philippines but also in Latin America and the United States. The "Papaya" dance was even shown on news programs like MSNBC and Reuters. On March 21, 2008, it was featured on ABC's Good Morning America, where the hosts also joined in the dance.
Before this, in the 1970s, "Papaya" was already a hit in Brazil. It was used as the opening song for a TV show called Anjo Mau.
Urszula Dudziak's Life
Urszula Dudziak was married to Michał Urbaniak, but they later divorced. They have two daughters together: Mika, who is a pop singer, and Kasia, who is a sculptor.
In 1993, Urszula married Benght Dahllof, who is a captain from Sweden. Urszula owns homes in different places, including Manhattan in New York City, Sweden, and Warsaw, Poland. Her brother, Leszek, was also a jazz drummer and worked with Krzysztof Komeda.
In 2011, Urszula Dudziak released her autobiography, which is a book about her own life story. It is called Wyśpiewam wam wszystko, which means I'll sing everything for you.
Urszula Dudziak's Albums
Urszula Dudziak has released many albums throughout her career. Here are some of them:
As the Main Artist
- Newborn Light (1972) – with Adam Makowicz
- Urszula (1975)
- Midnight Rain (1977)
- Future Talk (1979)
- High Horse (1984)
- Magic Lady (1989)
- Live at Warsaw Jazz Festival 1991 (1993)
- Koledy (1996) – with Grazyna Auguscik
- Malowany Ptak (1997)
- To I Hola (2000) – with Grazyna Auguscik
- Forever Green/Zawsze Zielona (2008)
- Super Band Live at Jazz Cafe (2009)
- Wszystko Gra (2013)
As a Guest Artist
Urszula Dudziak has also appeared on albums by other musicians:
- With Michal Urbaniak:
- Fusion III (1975)
- Heritage (1978)
- With Gil Evans:
- Live at Umbria Jazz Vol. 1 (2000)
- With other artists:
- Arif Mardin, Journey (1974)
- Vocal Summit, Sorrow Is Not Forever—Love Is (1983)
Urszula Dudziak in Movies and TV
Urszula Dudziak has also been involved in films and television shows, sometimes acting, sometimes providing music.
- 1980 – Papaya, czyli Skąd się biorą dziewczynki – She played the main role and also created music for this film.
- 1982 – Percussion Summit – A small role.
- 1983 – Vocal Summit – A small role.
- 1995 – Malowany chłopiec – She contributed music.
- 2001 – Eden – She performed vocals.
- 2007 – Wiersz na Manhattanie – She played the main role.
- 2007 – Niania – She appeared as herself.
- 2008 – Urszula Dudziak: Życie jest piękne – This was a documentary film about her life.
- 2011 – Bitwa na głosy – She was a team leader on this show.
- 2019 – The Voice Senior – She was a coach on this singing competition.
- 2020 – The Voice of Poland – She was a coach on this singing competition.
