Photo: Forum
A Master Who Stayed True
Karolina Prewęcka
For decades, he was present on stage, in Polish homes, and in the hearts of his listeners. In a beautiful yet simple, sensitive, wise, and unmistakably his own way, he sang of the colours of life. We bid farewell to Stanisław Soyka – singer, composer, arranger, pianist, violinist, guitarist, and above all, a man close to people.
He died suddenly on 21 August, aged sixty-six. In fact, he passed away in the middle of a sentence: only hours earlier, he had finished rehearsing for the concert Orchestra of Masters, in which he was to perform during the Top of the Top Sopot Festival. He returned to his hotel to rest and collapsed.
Artists gathered at the festival paid tribute to him with a performance of Tolerancja (Na miły Bóg) [Tolerance (For God’s Sake)] – Soyka’s best-known hit, a song of his own words and music, which today may be regarded as his message. Written in 1991 for a concert in aid of people suffering from AIDS, Soyka said he composed it spontaneously in a single day. Many Poles know its refrain by heart: For God’s sake! Life is not just for taking. Life is not for standing idly by. And to live, you have to give yourself.
Recently asked which line from his work he considered most important, Soyka pointed to the opening words of Tolerancja: ‘Why don’t we talk openly about what hurts us?’ He encouraged dialogue, closeness, and building relationships – an attitude he learned at home.
Born on 26 April 1959 in Żory, Upper Silesia, as Stanisław Joachim Sojka, he grew up with several brothers under the watchful eye of their mother, who always had time for them. When she noticed teenage Staszek secretly writing poems, she gave him just one piece of advice: “Stasiu, you are responsible for your words.”
Soyka began his musical path in his parish church, first singing soprano in the choir at age seven, then playing the organ. He studied violin in Gliwice, and later in Katowice – first at the Music High School, then at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music, where he majored in arrangement and composition. During his studies, he collaborated with Polish Radio in Katowice and founded his own big band, Puls [Pulse].
Artists loved him and valued working with him. To friends he was “beloved Staszek,” “Stasiu,” or “Stasieńko.” For many years, guitarist Janusz “Yanina” Iwański accompanied him on stage. Soyka also made guest appearances on recordings with some of the biggest names in Polish music, including Tadeusz Nalepa, Maanam, Anna Maria Jopek, De Mono, and Kayah. He performed duets with Grażyna Auguścik, Grażyna Łobaszewska, and Adam Nowak.
He often engaged in projects with a higher purpose. In 2009, shortly after the death of Professor Zbigniew Religa, he supported the campaign Z Sercem dla Serca [With Heart for Heart], raising funds for the construction of an artificial heart chamber for children. He also performed for the Educational Fund for Family Children’s Homes.
His artistic output was vast: studio albums, live recordings, special projects, instrumental works, compilations, and singles, spanning genres from lyrical ballads to rap. He was a master of cover versions, breathing new life into the songs of Czesław Niemen, Marek Grechuta, Skaldowie, and the swing of Duke Ellington.
In 2009 his compositions for Krzysztof Czeczot’s play Jeszcze się spotkamy młodsi (We’ll Meet Again, Younger) won the award for best original music at the “Two Theatres” Festival of Polish Radio and Television Theatre in Sopot. He worked with Grzegorz Turnau on Soplicowo for the film Pan Tadeusz and with the band Pogodno on new arrangements of Polish insurrection and legionary songs. He also performed religious hymns, Marian and Passion songs, and timeless love standards.
Soyka ‘conversed’ with masters of literature as well. He presented his album of Shakespeare’s sonnets personally to Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Warsaw. He sang the poetry of Bolesław Leśmian with moving subtlety, recorded an album of Czesław Miłosz’s poems, and set music to the works of Agnieszka Osiecka and Roman Brandstaetter. His musical interpretation of John Paul II’s Roman Triptych was also widely acclaimed.
Soyka was only eighteen when he entered the professional music scene in 1977. He began performing with jazz guitarist and composer Jarosław Śmietana in the band Extra Ball. His jazz style took shape during this period, winning him his first award at the Lublin Jazz Vocalists’ Meetings. Soon Willis Conover – host of the Voice of America’s Jazz Hour and admirer of Polish jazz – called Soyka “the best-kept secret of Polish music,” astonished that the world had not yet discovered him.
From the early 1980s, he performed abroad with Wojciech Karolak’s trio and with Michał Urbaniak, though an international career was never his priority. He was never greedy for fame at any cost. Success came anyway – in its best form: as gratitude from audiences for the quality of his concerts, his compositions, his voice, and his profoundly empathetic presence.
He received numerous awards and honours, including multiple Fryderyk Awards, the Grand Prix of the 48th National Festival of Polish Song in Opole (2011), and the Amber Nightingale for lifetime achievement at the Sopot Festival (2014). In 2009, President Lech Kaczyński awarded him the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
From the beginning, it was clear that Stanisław Soyka was a unique figure. He often deflected admiration with a gentle smile and a meaningful glance. Out of respect for his modesty, despite his growing collection of hits and honours, words of praise were never excessive. His passing is softened by the legacy he leaves behind: concert recordings, beautiful albums, and lyrics that read like golden thoughts – such as in his hit Absolutnie nic (Absolutely Nothing), reminding us that without love, we would not have achieved anything. Absolutely nothing.
Karolina Prewęcka
journalist, publicist and writer, author of books – interviews and biographies, including those of Bohdan Łazuka and Stanisława Celińska
Source: DlaPolonii.pl
