Artist Information
Biography
MAGDA PISKORCZYK
(pronounce: Peas-KOR-chick)
is a young singer with a mature, low and unusual voice timbre. Described in France as “la voix noire et au costume blanc" (Black voice in a white costume). She is a guitar, bass guitar and percussion player, as well as a song writer. Magda performs music of Afro-American and African heritage. She is a two-time Semifinalist of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, USA. Readers of the Polish blues quarterly chose her the Female Vocalist of the Year in 2003, 2004 and 2006.
She has released two CDs: "Magda Live" (nominated to the Fryderyk Award, the most prestigious award of the Polish Phonographic Industry) and "Blues Travelling" feat. Michal Urbaniak, a reknown jazz violinist. In 2009 Magda was invited to play with Konoba, an international band performing traditional West African music. She regularly performs with her band and has given shows at many festivals almost all over Europe.
MUSIC OF MAGDA PISKORCZYK
is her tasteful arrangements of funk, blues, gospel, soul, rock and jazz classics and her own original compositions as well. Despite her music being deeply set in the Afro-American tradition, it is very personal and innovative at the same time. Joy and humour, great emotions and energy are mixed with deep messages, melancholy, and moving sincerity. An unusual, very expressive usage of voice and perfectly matched sounds of guitars, a Hammond organ, a saxophone, percussion or other instruments make this music unique and captivating. Magda regularly involves the audience in collective singing, emotional shouting, hand-clapping or snapping their fingers.
Gospel, close to blues, is the second great fondness of Magda Piskorczyk. In 2007 Magda prepared a special program entitled "Tribute to Mahalia Jackson" with new versions of songs known from Mahalia's records. Wojciech Karolak, the most respected Hammond organ virtuoso in Poland, took part in this project as a special guest. Distinctive concerts of gospel standards have been performed in Poland, Germany, Hungary, France (at Blues Sur Seine Festival) and England (at City Sings Gospel Festival in Liverpool). Such shows are known for gripping energy and dynamics, original arrangements, charismatic vocal, excellent contact with the audience, which is alternately involved in spontaneous amusement and deep reflection.
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MUSICIANS AND MEDIA ABOUT MAGDA
She's a great future for the music. She's a great, great musician with very good groove and sense of music. (Bob Brozman after the concert with Magda at Dobrofest Trnava)
Excellent music, beautiful voice, musicians in top form, our audience love it absolutely.
(Serge WARIN about CD „Magda Live”, Radio Canal Bleu, France)
I can hardly wait to see this lady live on stage!
(Bobtje's Blues Pages, Holland)
Blues from Poland? Possibly the last place you'd expect to hear blues coming from. Magda Piskorczyk has a great bluesy voice, and you'd never guess that she was from Eastern Europe - although you might guess at Mississippi or Tennessee. (Terry Clear, Blues Bytes)
Magda is an excellent, deep-voiced singer - her voice is somewhere between Koko Taylor, Charley Patton, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Tommy Johnson) - capable of tackling well-known blues, jazz and gospel numbers alongside more contemporary songs from the pens of Jacques Brel, Paul Rodgers ('Muddy Water Blues' is a wonderful performance) and Tracy Chapman, and her style is distinctive, individual and unusual. So too are her arrangements, which certainly avoid the obvious and although they are acoustic-based, can be extremely powerful... (Norman Darwen about CD "Magda Live", BluesArt-Journal)
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MAGDA AT INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS
Magda gave shows at many international fests e.g.:
Trossingen Blues Fabrik, Germany (2009)
Prerov Jazz Festival, Prerov, Czech Rep. (2009)
Gastroblues, Paks, Hungary (2009)
Satyrblues, Tarnobrzeg, Poland (2009)
City Sings Gospel, Liverpool, UK (2008)
Blues Goes East, Karlsruhe, Niemcy (2007)
Bluestracje - Polish Blues TOP, Chorzów and Zakopane (2007)
Buezzfest, Burgas, Bulgaria (2006)
International Blues Challenge, Memphis, USA (2005, 2006)
Resonator Guitar Festival, Sullingen, Germany (2005, 2006)
Jimiway Festival, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Poland (2002, 2006)
Blues Sur Seine, France (2006)
Dresden Blues Festival, Germany (2006)
Dobrofest, Trnava, Slovakia (2005)
Rawa Blues Festival, Katowice, Poland (2003, 2005)
Berlin Bluesfestival, Germany (2004)
Potsdam Bluesfestival, Germany (2004)
Blues Alive, Sumperk, Czech Republic (2002)
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WEBSITE AND MULTIMEDIA
www.youtube.com/piskorczyk
www.myspace.com/magdapiskorczyk
www.magdapiskorczyk.com
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Instrumentation
* MAGDA PISKORCZYK
- vocals; acoustic, bass and electric guitar; arrangements
and her band:
* Ola Siemieniuk - dobro, acoustic and electric guitar;
* Greg Zawilinski - drums and percussion;
plus
* Stanislaw Witta - piano and Hammond;
* Roman Ziobro - double bass, bass guitar
Discography
Magda Piskorczyk - "Magda Live", Artgraff, 2008
Magda Piskorczyk - "Blues Travelling", feat. Michal Urbaniak, MTJ, 2005
Magda Piskorczyk - "Make Your Spirit Fly", demo, 2002
== As a guest:
Blues Flowers - "Smacznego!", 2008
Blues Flowers - "Bluesmenty", 2005
Blues Flowers - "Spoko Wodza", 2003
Blues Flowers - "Nie bede grzeczna dziewczynka" (single), 2003
Blues Flowers - "Cieszmy sie jak dzieci" (single), 2003
The Jam Session Band - "One Night At Satyrblues Live", 2003
"Chorzy na bluesa spiewaja utwory Slawka Wierzcholskiego", 2004
== Compilations:
"17 International Gastroblues Festival" DVD, Hungary 2009, 6 songs
"Blues sur Seine celebrates its 10 years", France 2008, song: "Walking Blues"
"Antologia Polskiego Bluesa" vol. I & II (Polish blues Anthology, 5-CD box), 2008 & 2009, 4 songs
"Blues sur Seine, 8eme edition", song "Help Me", France 2006
Official Website
http://www.magdapiskorczyk.com
Links
Photo Gallery
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Magda Piskorczyk - "Magda Live" CD cover
Download print quality (high-res) version (Right Click -> Save As) -
Magda Piskorczyk, photo: Irek Graff
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Magda in Liverpool cathedral, 2008, photo: J. Keelan
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Magda Piskorczyk - Rawa Blues Festival 2003
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Bob Margolin and Magda Piskorczyk, Blues Alive 2006
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Magda Piskorczyk (bass) and Ola Siemieniuk (acoustic), photo: Irek Graff
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Magda Piskorczyk at Polish Blues stars Alley, 2008, photo: I.Graff
Download print quality (high-res) version (Right Click -> Save As) -
Magda Piskorczyk - Tribute to Mahalia Jackson, 2007
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Magda Piskorczyk - Interview in Polish TV
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Magda Piskorczyk with her young fans, Blues sur Seine, France, 2006
Press
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Excellent, deep-voiced singer
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Recorded at Radio Gdansk, this first live recording from Magda - her second CD - finds the singer an...
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Compelling stage presence
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A European veteran of the 2005 and 2006 International Blues Challenges, singer-guitarist Magda Pisko...
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Magda Live - explosive mixture
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Magda Piskorczyk managed to elaborate her own sound, which comes not only from uncommon instruments ...
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Our audience love it absolutely
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Excellent music, beautiful voice, musicians in top form, our audience love it absolutely. Serge W...
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I can hardly wait to see this lady live on stage!
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In Poland there are blues artists too. And that does not surprise me. It is not because Poland is a ...
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das ist eine der feinsten Scheiben seit langem
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erstes Livealbum der polnischen Ausnahmesängerin Magda Piskorczyk Magda hat alle großen Festival...
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réalisation en tous points irréprochable
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On la présente comme étant une chanteuse a la voix noire dans un écrin charnel blanc et son timbre s...
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Haar uiterlijk heeft zij alvast mee
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Haar uiterlijk heeft zij alvast mee, maar ook haar stem, die zowel hoog als laag kan gaan. Gruizig o...
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Zelf kan ik amper wachten deze dame live aan het werk te zien
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Dat ze ook in Polen bluesartiesten hebben daar kan ik best inkomen. Het is niet omdat sinds 1 mei 20...
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Juz czekam na nastepna...
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wiecej recenzji w jezyku polskim i z polskimi literami :) jest tutaj: http://www.magdapiskorczyk....
Setlist
About 100 SONGS!
Mainly, MUSIC WITH AFRICAN-AMERICAN ROOTS:
blues, gospel, soul, jazz, funk and rock standards
as well as modern songs inspired by these genres.
All in Magda's very personal and emotional style
of interpretation and arrangement.
Just a few examples:
"All of Me", "Darkness on the Delta", "Help Me", "Summertime", "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho", "Didn't it Rain", "Spinning Wheel", "Always on the Run", "Wild Women Don't Have No Blues", "I Want Jesus to Walk with Me", "Miss Celie's Blues", "Get Back", "Lonely Avenue", "Temptation", "Muddy Water Blues".
Plus ROOTS MUSIC
from various parts of the world, especially beloved Africa.
Magda performs songs from Mali (for. ex. "Cler Achel", "Santa Mariya"), Trinidad (calypso), the Balkans, Creole...
DISTINCT PROGRAMS (full concerts):
- gospel
- Tribute to Mahalia Jackson
- remembering Otis Redding
Magda Piskorczyk's OWN COMPOSITIONS in two languages:
- English
- Polish
Acoustic and electric.
Fast and slow.
For fun and reflection.
With important, positive message.
For the young and the old,
for the sad and the happy
for the bluesfans and not.
For you!
:)

