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 Bogumiła Dudziak-Urbaniak (born 22 October 1943) is a famous Polish jazz singer. She is known for her unique vocal style. Urszula has worked with many great musicians. These include Krzysztof Komeda, Gil Evans, Archie Shepp, and Lester Bowie. In 2007, her song "Papaya" from the 1970s became very popular. It was a hit in Asia and Latin America.
Contents
A Look at Her Music Career
Urszula Dudziak was born in Straconka, Poland. This place is now part of Bielsko-Biała. She first learned to play the piano. However, she started singing in the late 1950s. This happened after she heard records by the legendary singer Ella Fitzgerald.
Early Success and Moving to New York
Within a few years, Urszula became one of the most popular jazz artists in Poland. She met and later married Michał Urbaniak, who is also a musician. In the late 1960s, they began to tour outside 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. This is much more creative than regular scat singing. She has an amazing five-octave vocal range. This means she can sing very low and very high notes. She also uses electronic devices to make her voice sound even more unique.
Urszula has worked with many top musicians. She was also part of a group called Vocal Summit. This group included other talented singers like Jay Clayton and Bobby McFerrin. She has also performed with another Polish jazz singer, Grażyna Auguścik.
Awards and Recognition
On 11 November 2009, Urszula Dudziak received a special award. It was the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. This award was given to her by the President of Poland, Lech Kaczyński. It recognized her great achievements.
The "Papaya" Dance Craze
In 2007, Urszula Dudziak's song "Papaya" became popular again. It was a hit in the Philippines. The song was often played on a TV game show called Pilipinas, Game Ka Na Ba? A TV host danced to the song, which helped it become even more famous. The "Papaya" dance then spread to Latin America and the US.
The dance was shown on several news programs. These included MSNBC and Reuters. On 21 March 2008, it was even featured on ABC's Good Morning America. The hosts of the show also danced to the song. Before this, "Papaya" was already a success in Brazil in the 1970s. It was the opening song for a TV show called Anjo Mau.
Her Life Outside Music
Urszula Dudziak and Michał Urbaniak are no longer married. They have two daughters together. One daughter is the pop singer Mika (Michelle), born in 1980. Their other daughter, Kasia, is a sculptor.
After her divorce, Urszula was in a relationship with Jerzy Kosiński for four years. In 1993, she married Benght Dahllof, who is a captain from Sweden. Urszula owns homes in Manhattan, Sweden, and Warsaw. Her brother, Leszek, was a jazz drummer. He worked with Krzysztof Komeda.
On 8 March 2011, Urszula Dudziak released her autobiography. It is a book about her life. The book is called Wyśpiewam wam wszystko, which means I'll sing everything for you.
Images for kids
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Urszula Dudziak at a jam session in Warsaw, November 2010.
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Performing at an aid concert in Warsaw, November 2010.
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Performing with her group Superband at the Cross Culture Festival, Warsaw, September 2011.
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At the Cross Culture Festival in Warsaw, September 2011.
Her Music Albums
Urszula Dudziak has released many albums throughout her career. Here are some of them:
Albums 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)
Albums as a Guest Artist
Urszula Dudziak has also appeared on albums by other musicians:
- With Michal Urbaniak
- Fusion III (1975)
- Heritage (1978)
- We'll Remember Komeda (1973)
- Zycie Pisane Na Orkiestre (2001)
- Smiles Ahead (2012)
- With Gil Evans
- Live at Umbria Jazz Vol. 1 (2000)
- With other artists
- Arif Mardin, Journey (1974)
- Ulla, Ulla (1982)
- Vocal Summit, Sorrow Is Not Forever—Love Is (1983)
- Vocal Summit, Live at Willisau: Conference of the Birds (1992)
Movies and TV Shows
Urszula Dudziak has also been involved in films and television. She has acted, provided music, or appeared as herself.
- 1980 – Papaya, czyli ... – main role, music
- 1982 – Percussion Summit – minor role
- 1983 – Vocal Summit – minor role
- 1995 – Malowany chłopiec – music
- 1985 – Urszula Dudziak – waga – main role
- 2000 – Ponad tęczą – music
- 2001 – Eden – music performance (vocal)
- 2002 – Zielona karta – music, song performances
- 2005 – Panna młoda – music
- 2007 – Wiersz na Manhattanie – main role
- 2007 – Niania – herself
- 2008 – Urszula Dudziak: Życie jest piękne – a documentary about her
- 2011 – Bitwa na głosy – as a team leader
- 2019 – The Voice Senior – herself, as a coach
- 2020 – The Voice of Poland – herself, as a coach
See also
In Spanish: Urszula Dudziak para niños
