Wojciech Młynarski | |
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Wojciech Młynarski in 2012
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Born |
Warsaw, Poland |
March 26, 1941
Died | March 15, 2017 Warsaw, Poland |
(aged 75)
Nationality | Polish |
Occupation | singer, lyricist, composer, writer, translator, satirist |
Children |
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Wojciech Młynarski (March 26, 1941 – March 15, 2017) was a Polish poet, singer, songwriter, translator and director. A well-known figure on the Polish musical scene, he was most famous for his ballads and what is known as sung poetry, as well as for his collaboration with numerous vocalists and cabarets. He wrote lyrics to more than 2,000 songs, a small fraction of which he sang himself. His songs received a total of 25 "Karolinkas", which are the main awards of the Polish Song Festival in Opole, the most important Polish song festival, occurring annually since 1963. He also composed music to some of his songs. He is considered an icon of Polish culture.
Born on March 26, 1941, in Warsaw, he graduated from the Tomasz Zan High School in Pruszków and then, in 1963, from the Faculty of Polish Language Studies at the Warsaw University (summa cum laude). It was during his university years that he started collaborating with the Hybrydy student theatre and cabaret. By mid-1960s he became an established author of texts for numerous cabarets, the most famous of which were the Dudek, Dreszczowiec and Owca. By the late 1960s, several of his songs became hits on Polish Television; Młynarski also gained popularity as a translator of texts of French and Russian poets and songwriters, including Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens, Gilbert Bécaud and Vladimir Vysotsky. For his translations of the French language lyrics and poetry, particularly that of Jacques Brel, Charles Aznavour and Georges Brassens, Młynarski was awarded the French Legion of Honour – Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur. He is the recipient of several Polish State orders, including the White Eagle Order.
In the 1970s, Wojciech Młynarski authored numerous operas and musicals, including "Henryk VI na łowach", "Cień" and "Awantura w Recco". He also translated the librettos of the musicals Cabaret, Chicago and Jesus Christ Superstar onto the Polish.