Stanisław Sojka

Stanisław Sojka
Stanisław Sojka, 2004
Born	April 26, 1959 Żory, Poland
Occupation	Musician, singer
Religion	Catholic[1]
Spouse(s)	Iwona Sojka (divorced)
Partner(s)	Ewa Żmijewska
Children	4 (sons)
Musical career
Also known as	Stanisław Soyka
Genres	Jazz, pop
Instruments	Piano
Labels	PolJazz, RCA, Zic Zac, ESA, QM Music, Polskie Nagrania Muza, Helicon, Pomaton EMI, EMI Music Poland, Universal Music Poland
Associated acts	Janusz "Janina" Iwański, Sekstet Plus, Andrzej Piaseczny, Adam Strug
Website	www.soyka.pl

Stanisław Sojka (born April 26, 1959 in Żory, Upper Silesia), also known as Stanisław Soyka, is a Polish jazz and pop singer, pianist and composer.

Beginnings

He started performing in public as a soprano singer in the Gliwice Cathedral Choir, when he was seven years old. In the same time he also was a violin student of the second grade at the State Musical School in Gliwice. His musical education was continued at the Music High School in Katowice and completed with master degree in arrangement and composing from the Akademia Muzyczna im. K. Szymanowskiego w Katowicach.

Breakthrough

Soyka professionally debuted on stage on November 1978, when he performed in concert at the National Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw in the prestigious "Jazz at the Philharmonic" series. He presented a recital, inspired by classic jazz, soul and R&B with songs of Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles and George Gershwin, but also traditional Polish Christmas carols and folklore tunes. That concert was recorded and released in 1979 as Soyka’s debut album entitled "Don’t You Cry". In that year Stanisław Soyka also won the top prize at Lubelskie Spotkania Jazzowe (Lublin Jazz Conference).

Until 1985 he released three more jazz albums and even one with religious music. He has been named the best Polish jazz vocalist by readers of magazine "Jazz Forum", from 1983 to 1988. In the same period of time Soyka recorded also some pop songs for Polish Radio, which later were collected on album Radioaktywny, released in 1989.

Pop career

In 1986 Soyka signed a two-year record deal with RCA in Germany. He recorded there his first pop and first international album, simply entitled Stanisław Sojka. Among the producers was famous Harold Faltermeyer. Before the album he also produced Soyka's single "Spirit Of The West", recorded for ad campaign of West cigarettes. The album was a commercial flop, but it gave him success in his native Poland. In 1988 Soyka came back to Poland and formed a duet with guitarist Janusz Iwański "Janina" from famous Polish jazz group Tie Break. They recorded and performed together until 1994. In 1991 Soyka recorded his most famous and best-selling album, Acoustic, co-produced by Dieter Meier from Yello. It brought such hits like Cud niepamięci or Play It Again. In 1992 he even was named Best Polish Star of 1991 by readers of magazine "Popcorn" for teenagers. His next album Neopositive from 1992 repeated commercial success of Acoustic, thanks to the huge hit Tolerancja, which became his biggest one in all his career. In that year he also won the Bursztynowy Słowik - Grand Prix of Sopot International Song Festival. Another album, Radical Graża from 1994, was a mediocre commercial success, just like his every next album.

New directions

In 1995 Soyka decided to compose music for poetry and record his first album with poetic music. He chose William Shakespeare's sonnets, translated into Polish. The album Sonety Shakespeare was released in 1995 and his English version Soyka Sings Shakespeare's Sonnets four years later. Soyka gave its Polish version as a gift to Queen Elizabeth II, during her 1996 visit to Poland. In 2003 he composed music for a poem "Roman Tryptich" written by Pope John Paul II and recorded the album Tryptyk rzymski. He presented these songs live in front of the Pope in the Vatican. In 2001 Soyka recorded one more religious album in his career, Polskie pieśni wielkopostne with forgotten Polish Lenten songs. But Soyka didn't forget about pop music and between those albums released Nr 17 in 1998, Soykanova in 2002 and album with covers Soyka Sings Love Songs in 2004. In 2007 he formed his new band Soyka Sextet Plus. In 2008 Soyka recorded as a guest artist two songs with rapper Gorzki, including one with Bizarre from D12 and one reggae song with composer and producer Krakowski. Soyka's first studio album in five years, Studio Wąchock, was released in October 2009.

Soyka earned two Polish music industry awards Fryderyk Awards: as "Best Male Vocalist" of 1994 (on the first ceremony) and for the "Best Poetic Music Album" of 2003.

State decoration

Krzyż kawalerski

• Krzyż Kawalerski Orderu Odrodzenia Polski, 2009 by Lech Kaczyński (Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta)

Discography

Studio albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions	Sales	Certifications
		POL [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]
Don't You Cry	Released: April 16, 1979[12] Label: PolJazz Formats: CD, digital download[13]	—
Blublula	Released: May 18, 1981[14] Label: Polskie Nagrania Muza Formats: CD	—
Soyka Sings Ellington	Released: April 19, 1982[15] Label: Helicon Formats: CD	—
Matko, która nas znasz...	Released: September 27, 1982[16] Label: Helicon Formats: CD	—
Soyka w Piwnicy na Wójtowskiej	Released: 1984 Label: PolJazz Formats: CD, digital download[17]	—
Stanisław Sojka	Released: August 18, 1986[18] Label: RCA Formats: CD	—
Radioaktywny	Released: May 16, 1988[19] Label: Polskie Nagrania Muza Formats: CD, digital download[20]	—
Acoustic	Released: April 19, 1991[21] Label: Zic Zac Formats: CD	—
Sonety Shakespeare	Released: October 9, 1995[22] Label: Pomaton EMI Formats: CD	—
Nr 17	Released: March 30, 1998[23] Label: Pomaton EMI Formats: CD	—
Soyka Sings Shakespeare's Sonnets	Released: November 23, 1998[24] Label: Pomaton EMI Formats: CD	—
Soykanova	Released: October 14, 2002[25] Label: Pomaton EMI Formats: CD, digital download[26]	50
Soyka Sings Love Songs	Released: March 8, 2004[27] Label: Pomaton EMI Formats: CD, digital download[28]	16
...Tylko brać	Released: September 10, 2010[29] Label: Universal Music Poland Formats: CD, digital download[30]	7	POL: 15,000+[31]	POL: Gold[32]
Stanisław Soyka śpiewa 7 wierszy Czesława Miłosza	Released: May 13, 2011[33] Label: Universal Music Poland Formats: CD, digital download[34]	17
Stanisław Soyka w hołdzie Mistrzowi	Released: April 24, 2012[35] Label: Universal Music Poland Formats: CD, digital download[36]	7
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions	Sales	Certifications
		POL [2]
Złota Kolekcja - Cud niepamięci	Released: June 15, 1998[37] Label: Pomaton EMI Formats: CD	43	POL: 50,000+[38]	POL: Gold[39]
Złota Kolekcja, Vol. 2 - Życie to krótki sen	Released: April 21, 2004[40] Label: Pomaton EMI Formats: CD	44
Rocznik 59	Released: November 28, 2008[41] Label: EMI Music Poland Formats: CD (Box set)	—
Poeci polskiej piosenki - Soyka: Absolutnie nic...	Released: April 30, 2013 Label: Universal Music Poland Formats: CD	—
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Collaborative albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		POL [2]
Neopositive (with Janusz "Janina" Iwański)	Released: 1992 Label: ESA Formats: CD, digital download[42]	—
Radical Graża (with Janusz "Janina" Iwański i Kompania)	Released: 1994 Label: ESA Formats: CD	—
Studio Wąchock (with Sekstet Plus)	Released: October 2, 2009[43] Label: Universal Music Poland Formats: CD	23
W blasku światła (with Andrzej Piaseczny)	Released: April 18, 2011[44] Label: QM Music Formats: CD, digital download[45]	—
Strug. Leśmian. Soyka. (with Adam Strug)	Released: May 13, 2014[46] Label: Universal Music Poland Formats: CD, digital download[47]	22
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Christmas albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions	Sales	Certifications
		POL [2]
Kolędy	Released: 1991 Label: Polskie Radio Katowice Formats: CD	—
Kolędy polskie	Released: 1995 Label: ESA Formats: CD, digital download[48]	—
Polskie Pieśni Wielkopostne	Released: March 31, 2001[49] Label: Pomaton EMI Formats: CD	26
Tryptyk Rzymski	Released: September 15, 2003[50] Label: Pomaton EMI Formats: CD	1	POL: 35,000+[31]	POL: Gold[51]
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

References

1. "Stanisław Sojka Dobrze myślę o polskim Kościele". fronda.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
2. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS - Official Retail Sales Chart". Olis.onyx.pl. 2005-07-24. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
3. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS - Official Retail Sales Chart". Olis.onyx.pl. 2001-04-22. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
4. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS - Official Retail Sales Chart". Olis.onyx.pl. 2005-04-24. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
5. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS - Official Retail Sales Chart". Olis.onyx.pl. 2009-10-25. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
6. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS - Official Retail Sales Chart". Olis.onyx.pl. 2014-05-18. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
7. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS - Official Retail Sales Chart". Olis.onyx.pl. 2002-12-15. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
8. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS - Official Retail Sales Chart". Olis.onyx.pl. 2004-03-29. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
9. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS - Official Retail Sales Chart". Olis.onyx.pl. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
10. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS - Official Retail Sales Chart". Olis.onyx.pl. 2011-06-19. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
11. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS - Official Retail Sales Chart". Olis.onyx.pl. 2012-07-29. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
12. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "Don't you cry". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
13. "iTunes - Music - Don't You Cry by Stanislaw Sojka". iTunes. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
14. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "BLUBLULA". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
15. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "Sojka Sings Ellington". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
16. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "Matko, ktra nas znasz". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
17. "iTunes - Music - W Piwnicy Na Wójtowskiej by Stanislaw Sojka". iTunes. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
18. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "Stanisaw Sojka". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
19. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "Radioaktywny". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
20. "iTunes - Music - Radioaktywny by Stanislaw Soyka". iTunes. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
21. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "Acoustic". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
22. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "Sonety Shakespeare". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
23. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "No 17". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
24. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "Soyka sings W. Shakespeare's sonnets". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
25. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "Soykanova". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
26. "iTunes - Music - Soykanova by Stanislaw Soyka". iTunes. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
27. "Stanisław Soyka - "Soyka sings love songs"". onet.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
28. "iTunes - Music - Soyka Sings Love Songs by Stanislaw Soyka". iTunes. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
29. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "...Tylko bra". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
30. "iTunes - Music - "...Tylko Brac" Osiecka Znana i Nieznana by Stanislaw Soyka". iTunes. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
31. "ZPAV :: Bestsellery i wyróżnienia - Wyróżnienia - Regulamin". zpav.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
32. "ZPAV :: Bestsellery i wyróżnienia - Wyróżnienia - Złote płyty CD - Archiwum". zpav.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
33. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "7 wierszy Miosza". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
34. "iTunes - Music - 7 Wierszy Czeslawa Milosza by Stanislaw Soyka". iTunes. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
35. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "Stanisaw Soyka w hodzie Mistrzowi". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
36. "iTunes - Music - Stanisław Soyka W Hołdzie Mistrzowi (Live) by Stanislaw Soyka". iTunes. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
37. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "Zota kolekcja - Cud niepamici". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
38. "Golden - Platinum". archive.org. Archived from the original on 24 May 2001. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
39. "ZPAV :: Bestsellery i wyróżnienia - Wyróżnienia - Złote płyty CD - Archiwum". zpav.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
40. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "Zota kolekcja vol.2 ycie to krtki sen". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
41. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "Stanisaw SOYKA rocznik ‘59 - Spis utworw -". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
42. "iTunes - Music - Neopositive by Stanislaw Soyka". iTunes. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
43. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "Studio Wchock". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
44. "Soyka / Piaseczny - W blasku wiata - Pyta - Muzyka w INTERIA.PL". interia.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
45. "iTunes - Music - W Blasku Światła by Soyka & Piaseczny". iTunes. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
46. "UNIVERSAL MUSIC POLSKA - KATALOG PŁYT - ADAM STRUG & STANISŁAW SOYKA: Strug. Leśmian. Soyka.". Universal Music Polska. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
47. "iTunes - Music - Strug. Leśmian. Soyka by Adam Strug & Stanislaw Soyka". iTunes. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
48. "iTunes - Musik – „Koledy Polskie“ von Stanislaw Soyka". iTunes. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
49. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "Polskie pieni wielkopostne". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
50. Grupa Wirtualna Polska. "Jan Pawe II Tryptyk Rzymski". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
51. "ZPAV :: Bestsellery i wyróżnienia - Wyróżnienia - Złote płyty CD - Archiwum". zpav.pl. Retrieved 15 December 2014.

External links

• Official Site
• Featured Member of Honor in June 2008
• Stanisław Soyka at Culture.pl