Rodowicz Maryla, actually Maria Antonina Rodowicz, *8 December 1945 Zielona Góra, Polish singer, guitarist and composer. She graduated from the Academy of Physical Education in Warsaw. Multi-talented (ballet, music, visual arts, sports), she is also a graduate of the first-degree music school in Włocławek (violin). In 1960, she made her debut during the amateur singers’ review in Toruń, and in 1962, she qualified for the finals of the 1st Festival of Young Talents in Szczecin. In 1965, she joined the Szejtany band, and then the Gag cabaret of J.A. Marek and A. Kreczmar, operating at the academic club of the Academy of Physical Education Relax. In 1967, she won the 1st prize at the Student Song Fair in Częstochowa and the Student Singers and Song Festival in Kraków; in the same year, she made her debut radio recordings and began a long-term cooperation with the Radio Song Studio. In 1969, she had her first hit, Mówiły mu.
Rodowicz has a strong, sonorous voice, great musicality and temperament; she makes a stage show from her performances. She skilfully selects her repertoire and uses new musical trends while maintaining her own, recognisable style. Initially, she performed folk-rock ballads (Blowin’ in the Wind, Żyj mój świecie) with exposed guitar parts. As soon as she started working with J. Mikuła and composer-author pair K. Gaertner and A. Osiecka, her repertoire included dynamic, often humorous characteristic songs (Diabeł i raj, Damą być, Małgośka, Sing-Sing); numerous reflective pieces were written for her by, among others, S. Krajewski (Ludzkie gadanie, Niech żyje bal, Remedium, Święty spokój), A. Sikorowski (Polska Madonna, To już było), J.K. Pawluśkiewicz (Pejzaż horyzontalny) and R. Janson (Łatwopalni). Rodowicz performs both Polish festive songs (Kolorowe jarmarki, Powiadają żem jest ładna, Hej sokoły), and Latin music (Czadu Maryla!!!, Malaguena); she recorded with a rock band Kombi (Przytul mnie), and tried pastiche of new wave music (Dentysta-sadysta). There were many well-known figures of the Polish stage accompanying her, including D. Błażejczyk, Gang Marcela, Gayga, Z. Hołdys, A. Kleszczewski, M. Steczkowska, J. Wąsowski, J. “Ptaszyn” Wróblewski and A. Zaucha.
Until the 1990s, Rodowicz was the best-known Polish singer abroad, giving concerts in Czechoslovakia, the GDR, the FRG, Bulgaria, Hungary, Cuba, the USSR, Turkey, Switzerland, France, Italy, Great Britain, Israel, China, the United States, Canada and Australia. She recorded long-playing albums in Czechoslovakia, the GDR and the USSR. Rodowicz appeared in the following films: Kulig (dir. S. Kokesz, 1968), Hak (dir. A. Minkiewicz, P. Karpiński, 1977), Pan Kleks w kosmosie (dir. K. Gradowski, 1988), television programmes and films: Sentymenty (dir. T. Bitner, A. Minkiewicz, S. Wohl, 1976), Dziewczynka z zapałkami (dir. A. Minkiewicz, 1978), Bezsenna blondynka (dir. A. Minkiewicz, 1983), Namiot Jedynki (dir. K. Jasiński, 1998), Rodzina zastępcza (dir. W. Nowak et al., 1999) and musical shows: Zagrajcie nam dzisiaj wszystkie srebrne dzwony (dir. K. Jasiński, 1975), Szalona lokomotywa (dir. K. Jasiński, 1977–80). In 2001, she made her debut as the author of a series of television revue programmes Tour de Maryla. Rodowicz is, among others, the winner of the Grand Prix of the Song Festival in Sopot (1973, 1992), the Festival of Polish Song in Opole (2003) and the Audience Award at the Interwizja Festival in Sopot (1977). During festivals in Opole, her songs have been awarded many times, including: Mówiły mu (distinction in 1969), Jadą wozy kolorowe (1st prize in 1970), Z tobą w górach (WRN Chairman’s Award in 1971), Diabeł i raj (distinction in 1973), Leżę pod gruszą (3rd prize in 1980). In 1976, she received the Golden Medal of Estrada, and in 1997 the M. Święcicki Award of the III PR programme and Super Wiktor; major foreign awards include: 1st prize for Daleko do ciebie at the World Festival of Youth and Students in Sofia (1968), 1st place at the festival in Gmunden (1972) for Z tobą w górach, Grand Prix du Disque at the International Festival of Popular Songs “Bratislavska Lira” (1973), 2nd prize at the 4th Tulsa International Mayfest (1980) and a distinction for Long Live the Ball during The World Song Festival in America (1984). Rodowicz has released numerous albums, including Żyj mój świecie (1970), Wyznanie (1971), Rok (1974), Sing-Sing (1976), Wsiąść do pociągu (1978), Cyrk nocą (1979), Gejsza nocy (1985), Polska Madonna (1987), Full (1991), Absolutnie nic (1992), Marysia biesiadna (1994), Złota Maryla (1995), Antologia (1996), Tribute to Agnieszka Osiecka (1997), Karnawał 2000 (1999) and Życie ładna rzecz (2002).
Literature: Maryla Rodowicz Niech żyje bal, Warsaw 1992, Maryla Rodowicz, Jarosław Szybrycht Wariatka tańczy, Warsaw 2013, Maria Szabłowska Maryla. Życie Marii Antoniny, Warsaw 2014, Maryla Rodowicz, Maria Szabłowska Maryla. Królowa jest tylko jedna, Warsaw 2015.
