Justyna Steczkowska
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Justyna Steczkowska | |
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.jpg) Justyna Steczkowska in 2025 | |
| Born | 2 August 1972 |
| Occupations |
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| Spouse | Maciej Myszkowski |
| Children | 3 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels |
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| Website | www |
Justyna Maria Steczkowska (Polish pronunciation: [juˈstɨna stɛt͡ʂˈkɔfska]; born 2 August 1972) is a Polish singer, songwriter, photographer, and actress. She represented Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1995 with the song "Sama", finishing in 18th place, and is set to represent the country again in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with the song "Gaja".[2]
Since 1996, she has released 19 studio albums, including 13 solo records: Dziewczyna Szamana (1996), Naga (1997), Dzień i Noc (2000), Alkimja (2002), Femme Fatale (2004), Daj mi chwilę (2007), Puchowe kołysanki (2008), To mój czas(2009), XV (2012), Puchowe kołysanki 2 (2013), Anima (2014), Maria Magdalena. All Is One (2019), Szamanka (2022), Steczkowska Demarczyk (2023), and Witch Tarohoro (2024). She also recorded four collaborative albums: Mów do mnie jeszcze (2001) with Paweł Deląg, Mezalianse (2011) with Maciej Maleńczuk, Ale szopka with Urszula Dudziak (2011), and I na co mi to było? (2015) with Boban Marković. Additionally, she composed and recorded the soundtrack for the film Na koniec świata (1999).
She has popularized numerous hits such as “Dziewczyna Szamana,” “Grawitacja,” “Oko za oko, słowo za słowo,” “Za karę,” “D.N.A,” “Witch Tarohoro,” and “Gaja.”
Videos on her official YouTube channel have garnered over 51 million views, and her recordings have surpassed 23 million streams on Spotify. She is a recipient of numerous music awards, including six Fryderyk Awards, two Wiktor Awards, the Superjedynka, and the Amber Nightingale. She was also honored with the Bronze Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis.
She was the main subject of the documentary film Justyna, and made cameo appearances in several films and TV series. She has also performed in several theatrical productions. She has frequently appeared in rankings of the most valuable celebrities in the Polish entertainment industry. Actively involved in charitable work, she has been a participant, juror, host, or featured guest in many television entertainment programs. She has also taken part in nationwide advertising campaigns for four major companies and designed her own clothing line for girls.
Life and career
[edit]Early life and musical roots
[edit]She was born in Rzeszów, in the Subcarpathian region of southeastern Poland. She is the fourth of nine children of Danuta and Stanisław Steczkowski, a music teacher and conductor.
When she was five years old, she moved with her family to Stalowa Wola, where she attended the Ignacy Jan Paderewski State Music School. In 1991, she graduated from a music high school belonging to the Music School Complex No. 1 in Rzeszów. Later she moved to Gdańsk to study at a musical academy but she dropped out to focus on singing.[3] She played violin in a family band and was a singer in rock and jazz bands before embarking on a solo career.
Breakthrough with "Boskie Buenos"
[edit]In 1994, Steczkowska participated in auditions for a television talent show Szansa na sukces. Dissatisfied with her performance of a song "Nie przynoś mi kwiatów, dziewczyno" by Trubadurzy,[3] she was given another chance to compete. She came to prominence in June 1994 when she eventually won the show with the performance of Maanam's hit "Boskie Buenos (Buenos Aires)".[4] Afterwards, the same year, she performed her first non-album single “Moja intymność” at the 31st National Festival of Polish Song in Opole where she won the main "Karolinka" award and was notably praised by Irena Santor, one of the legends of the Polish music.[5] The national exposure introduced her striking voice to a wider audience and marked the beginning of her ascent in Polish pop culture.
Eurovision debut
[edit]As a promising young artist, Steczkowska was selected to represent Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1995 with the song “Sama” ("Alone"). With the track characterized by its introspective and melancholic tone, set in a minor key with folky, downbeat elements, she finished in 18th place.[6]
Career-defining Dziewczyna Szamana
[edit]After winning the final of the Baltic Countries Song Festival in July 1995, Steczkowska began preparations for her first record. She worked closely with Grzegorz Ciechowski, a well-known musician who specifically used a pen name Ewa Omernik and with whom she spent a few months recording in Kazimierz Dolny.[7]
In March 1996, Steczkowska's debut solo album was released. Combining esoteric themes and jazz-influenced production, Dziewczyna Szamana was both a critical and commercial success. The title track, along with singles like “Grawitacja” and “Oko za oko, słowo za słowo”, remain staples of her repertoire and are among her most iconic songs. In April 1997, Steczkowska was triumphant, having earned four Fryderyk awards for every category in which she was nominated.
Evolving sound and collaborations
[edit]
After the debut, in October 1997, Steczkowska released the album Naga, an optimistically melancholic follow-up to the previous record, most known for a single “Za karę”. In August 1999, she composed the soundtrack album produced by her brother for the film Na koniec świata promoted by the trip-hop title track.
A year later, she released Dzień i noc marked by the single “Kosmiczna rewolucja”. This album saw her embrace new musical landscape leaning into electronic. On this record, she collaborated with other prominent Polish female artists, Katarzyna Nosowska and Edyta Bartosiewicz.
In November 2001, Steczkowska released a collaborative album Mów do mnie jeszcze with Paweł Deląg, where they used poems by William Shakespeare, Cyprian Kamil Norwid, Jonasz Kofta, Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer, or Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska. In October 2002, she released the album Alkimja, inspired by Jewish culture, featuring songs sung in Hebrew, Aramaic, Ladino, and Yiddish. The album earned her a Fryderyk award for Ethno-Folk Album of the Year.
In 2004, she released Femme Fatale, an album of her interpretations of songs originally performed by famous Polish and international female singers, inspired by figures like Kalina Jędrusik, Anna German, Marilyn Monroe, Édith Piaf, Dalida, and Marlene Dietrich.[8]
Her further discography includes Daj mi chwilę (2007), Puchowe kołysanki (2008), To mój czas (2009), XV (2012), Puchowe kołysanki 2 (2013), Anima (2014), Maria Magdalena. All Is One (2019), Szamanka (2022), Steczkowska Demarczyk (2023) and Witch Tarohoro (2024) as well as other collaborative albums: cabaret-inspired Mezalianse (2011) with Maciej Maleńczuk and Balkan-influenced I na co mi to było? (2015) with Boban Marković.
Eurovision comeback
[edit]In 2024, she finished second in Poland's national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song "Witch Tarohoro".[9] The following year, she won the national final of Poland's national preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 and is set to represent Poland again after three decades with the song "Gaja".[10] Steczkowska's gap of 30 years between her two participations breaks the previous record of 24 years set by Anna Vissi between her entries for Cyprus in 1982 and Greece in 2006.[11]
Other ventures
[edit]Apart from her music endeavours, she has starred in the films Billboard and Na koniec świata ("To the End of the World"). She was also a runner-up in season six of the Polish version of Dancing with the Stars in 2007, co-hosted the Polish version of Dancing on Ice in 2008, was a coach on The Voice of Poland in seasons 2, 4–5, and 12–14, with two of her contestants winning the competition,[12][13][14] and has served as a judge on the Polish version of Your Face Sounds Familiar since 2024.[15] She has appeared in several advertising campaigns, and designed her own clothing collection for girls. She is actively involved in charity work.
Legacy
[edit]Steczkowska is regarded for her four-octave vocal range.[16] She has won numerous music awards, including six Fryderyk awards, two Wiktor awards, a Superjedynka and a Bursztynowy Słowik. She has also been honored with the Bronze Gloria Artis Medal for Merit to Culture, and has been ranked among Forbes Poland's most valuable stars of Polish show business numerous times.
Discography
[edit]Solo albums
[edit]1990s
[edit]| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| POL [17] | |||
| Dziewczyna Szamana |
|
28 | |
| Naga |
|
— |
|
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||
2000s
[edit]| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| POL [17] | |||
| Dzień i Noc |
|
— | |
| Alkimja |
|
11 |
|
| Femme Fatale |
|
34 | |
| Daj mi chwilę |
|
3 |
|
| To mój czas |
|
11 | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||
2010s
[edit]| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| POL [17] | ||
| XV |
|
20 |
| Anima |
|
24 |
| Maria Magdalena. All Is One |
|
31 |
2020s
[edit]| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| POL [17] | ||
| Szamanka |
|
23 |
| Steczkowska Demarczyk |
|
— |
| Witch Tarohoro |
|
31 |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||
Children dedicated albums
[edit]| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| POL [17] | ||
| Puchowe kołysanki |
|
10 |
| Puchowe kołysanki 2 |
|
17 |
Collaborative albums
[edit]| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| POL [17] | ||
| Mów do mnie jeszcze (with Paweł Deląg) |
|
— |
| Mezalianse (with Maciej Maleńczuk) |
|
12 |
| I na co mi to było? (with Boban Marković) |
|
38 |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||
Singles
[edit]1990s
[edit]| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| POL Music & Media [27] | |||
| "Moja intymność" | 1995 | — | Non-album singles |
| "Sama" | 4 | ||
| "Dziewczyna Szamana" | — | Dziewczyna Szamana | |
| "Grawitacja" | 1996 | 7 | |
| "Oko za oko, słowo za słowo" | 13 | ||
| "Niekochani" | — | ||
| "Tatuuj mnie" | 1997 | — | |
| "Za dużo wiesz" | 2 | Naga | |
| "Za karę" | 1998 | 1 | |
| "Kici kici maj" | — | ||
| "Kryminalna miłość" | 1 | ||
| "Na koniec świata" | 1999 | 19 | Na koniec świata |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||
2000s
[edit]| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| POL Music & Media [27] | |||
| "Kosmiczna rewolucja" | 2000 | — | Dzień i Noc |
| "Świat jest niewierny" | 19 | ||
| "Podróżując" | 19 | ||
| "To koniec!" | — | ||
| "Śpiewaj "Yidl mitn fidl"" | 2002 | — | Alkimja |
| "Świt! Świt!" | — | ||
| "Wszyscy braćmi być powinni" | 2003 | — | |
| "Zadzwoń do mnie" | 2004 | * | Femme Fatale |
| "Sex appeal" | 2005 | ||
| "Samotni" | |||
| "Tłum" | |||
| "Świąteczna piosenka o miłości" | 2006 | Non-album single | |
| "To tylko złudzenie (To nie miłość)" | 2007 | Daj mi chwilę | |
| "Tu i tu" | |||
| "Daj mi chwilę" | |||
| "Wracam do domu" | 2008 | ||
| "Choć wieje, pada, grzmi" (featuring Borys Szyc) | |||
| "Tajemnicze uczuć" | |||
| "To mój czas" | 2009 | To mój czas | |
| "Tango" | |||
| "Proszę cię – skłam" | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. "*" denotes the chart did not exist at that time. | |||
2010s
[edit]| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Kim tu jestem" | 2010 | To mój czas |
| "Tylko ty znasz te zaklęcia" | ||
| "Utwierdź mnie" (with Maciej Maleńczuk) |
2011 | Mezalianse |
| "Sanktuarium" | XV | |
| "Terra" | 2014 | Anima |
| "Kochankowie syreny" | ||
| "High Heels" (featuring Pati Yang) |
2015 | |
| "Kto wciska mi kit" (with Boban Marković) |
I na co mi to było? | |
| "Ave (No control)" | 2019 | Maria Magdalena. All Is One |
2020s
[edit]| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POL Stream. [28] | |||||
| "Miej odwagę" | 2020 | * | Szamanka | ||
| "Nie poddawaj się" (featuring Maciej Maleńczuk) |
2021 | ||||
| "Dziewczyna Szamana" (featuring Leszek Możdżer) |
|||||
| "Uciekinierzy" (featuring Arek Kłusowski) |
2022 | ||||
| "Ra Ma Da Sa" | |||||
| "Nie mój sen" (featuring Luna) |
|||||
| "Szamanka" | |||||
| "Między nami" (featuring Beata Kozidrak) |
|||||
| "Now" (with Mike & Laurent) |
Non-album singles | ||||
| "D.N.A" | |||||
| "Poza ramą" | |||||
| "Carpe Diem" | 2023 | — | |||
| "Witch Tarohoro" | — |
|
Witch Tarohoro | ||
| "Nasz wspólny świat" | 2024 | — | |||
| "Ty lustrem świata" | — | ||||
| "Slavic" | — | ||||
| "Gaja" | 65 | ||||
| "Każda fala znajdzie brzeg" | 2025 | — | |||
| "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. "*" denotes the chart did not exist at that time. | |||||
References
[edit]- ^ Biography Archived 1 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Justyna Steczkowska will represent Poland at Basel 2025". European Broadcasting Union. 14 February 2025. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
- ^ a b "Justyna Steczkowska – w Rzeszowie wszystko się zaczęło". Biznesistyl.pl. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Tak wyglądała Steczkowska w "Szansie na sukces". Pamiętacie?" (in Polish). Radio Złote Przeboje. 1 January 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ "XXXI KFPP – 1994" (in Polish). TVP. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ "Justyna". European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ "Piosenka pod pseudonimem". Rp.pl. 3 August 2008. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
- ^ "Kobieta Fatalna Justyny Steczkowskiej". Onet. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
- ^ "Eurowizja 2024: TVP ujawnia pełne wyniki preselekcji! Jak wyglądała klasyfikacja?". Eurowizja.org (in Polish). 21 February 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
- ^ "Eurowizja 2025: Przedstawiamy 10 Finalistów!" [Eurovision 2025: Introducing the 10 finalists!] (in Polish). TVP. 14 January 2025. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
- ^ Polewski, Kamil (14 February 2025). "Dopiero wygrała preselekcje, a już pobiła rekord! Justyna Steczkowska napisze historię w Bazylei" [She just won the pre-selection and she has already broken the record! Justyna Steczkowska will write history in Basel] (in Polish). Radio Eska. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ Kurdupski, Michał (20 June 2022). "Justyna Steczkowska w jury "The Voice of Poland 13", nie będzie Sylwii Grzeszczak". Wirtualnemedia.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- ^ Kurdupski, Michał (22 August 2023). ""The Voice of Poland 14" od 2 września w TVP2, nowe zasady w programie". Wirtualnemedia.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- ^ ""The Voice of Poland". Kim są zwycięzcy dotychczasowych edycji?" (in Polish). TVP. 14 August 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- ^ Staroń, Maria (17 February 2025). "Oficjalny komunikat "Twoja twarz brzmi znajomo". Mowa o Justynie Steczkowskiej" (in Polish). RMF Maxx. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
- ^ "Polscy artyści popowi z największą skalą głosu" (in Polish). Onet.pl. 19 November 2013. Archived from the original on 5 October 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f
- Dziewczyna Szamana: "Oficjalna lista sprzeday :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart: sales for the period 18.06.2021 – 24.06.2021". ZPAV. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- Alkimja: "Oficjalna lista sprzeday :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart: sales for the period 06.01.2003 – 12.01.2003". ZPAV. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- Femme Fatale: "Oficjalna lista sprzeday :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart: sales for the period 06.12.2004 – 12.12.2004". ZPAV. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- Daj mi chwilę: "Oficjalna lista sprzeday :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart: sales for the period 04.06.2007 – 10.06.2007". ZPAV. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- Puchowe kołysanki: "Oficjalna lista sprzeday :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart – sales for the period 26.05.2008 – 01.06.2008". ZPAV. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- To mój czas: "Oficjalna lista sprzeday :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart: sales for the period 23.03.2009 – 29.03.2009". ZPAV. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- Mezalianse: "Oficjalna lista sprzeday :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart: sales for the period 21.02.2011 – 27.02.2011". ZPAV. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- XV: "Oficjalna lista sprzeday :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart – sales for the period 02.04.2012 – 09.04.2012". ZPAV. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- Puchowe kołysanki 2: "Oficjalna lista sprzeday :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart: sales for the period 22.07.2013 – 28.07.2013". ZPAV. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- Anima: "Oficjalna lista sprzeday :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart: sales for the period 24.11.2014 – 30.11.2014". ZPAV. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- I na co mi to było?: "Oficjalna lista sprzeday :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart: sprzedaż w okresie 13.11.2015 – 19.11.2015". ZPAV. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- Maria Magdalena. All Is One: "Oficjalna lista sprzeday :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart: sales for the period 22.02.2019 – 28.02.2019". ZPAV. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
- Szamanka: "Oficjalna lista sprzeday :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart: sales for the period 04.03.2022 – 10.03.2022". ZPAV. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- Witch Tarohoro: "OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży: Albumy (29.11.2024–05.12.2024)". ZPAV. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- ^ "ZPAV :: Bestsellery i wyróżnienia – Strona główna". ZPAV. Archived from the original on August 18, 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ a b c "ZPAV :: Bestsellery i wyróżnienia – Strona główna". ZPAV. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ "Justyna Steczkowska – Dzień i noc". Interia. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ "Justyna Steczkowska – Alkimja". Interia. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ "Justyna Steczkowska – Femme Fatale". Interia. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ "Justyna Steczkowska – Daj mi chwilę". Interia. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ "Justyna Steczkowska – To mój czas". Interia. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ "Justyna Steczkowska – Puchowe kołysanki". Interia. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ "Justyna Steczkowska & Maciej Maleńczuk – Mezalianse". Interia. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ a b Peak positions for singles on the Music & Media Poland Airplay Chart:
- "Sama": "Major Market Airplay: Poland" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 22. BPI Communications Inc. 3 June 1995. p. 31. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- "Grawitacja": "Major Market Airplay: Poland" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 10. BPI Communications Inc. 9 March 1996. p. 39. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- "Oko za oko, słowo za słowo": "Major Market Airplay: Poland" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 24. BPI Communications Inc. 15 June 1996. p. 23. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- "Za dużo wiesz": "Major Market Airplay: Poland" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 43. BPI Communications Inc. 25 October 1997. p. 23. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- "Za karę": "Major Market Airplay: Poland" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 10. BPI Communications Inc. 7 March 1998. p. 23. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- "Kryminalna miłość": "Major Market Airplay: Poland" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 47. BPI Communications Inc. 21 November 1998. p. 35. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- "Na koniec świata": "Major Market Airplay: Poland" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 37. BPI Communications Inc. 11 September 1999. p. 23. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- "Świat jest niewierny": "Major Market Airplay: Poland" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 17. BPI Communications Inc. 22 April 2000. p. 31. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- "Podróżując": "Major Market Airplay: Poland" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 25. BPI Communications Inc. 17 June 2000. p. 23. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- ^ Peak chart positions for singles in Poland:
- "Gaja": "OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie" (Select week 14.02.2025–20.02.2025.) (in Polish). OLiS. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 18 February 2025. Click "WYKONAWCA" and enter Justyna Steczkowska in the search box.
External links
[edit]- Official website
Media related to Justyna Steczkowska at Wikimedia Commons
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