Hello,

As I learn Polish with the idea of trip to Germany and Poland in the not-too-distant future, I've been investigating via YouTube Polish singers as I find listening to music sometimes helps me as I'm learning a language, but also brings me in touch with well-respected figures in a given country.

More interested in folk music, popular music , 20th century classics, rock, ballads than say rap. Any "incontournables" (un-missables) as they say in French?

Of what I've found so far, I've appreciated Ania Wyszkoni (Wiem że jesteś tam), Masters (Szukam dziewczyny and others) and Czerwone gitary (Anna Maria). So, I can like ranging from ballads to pop/dance to classics as those of you in the know can see from these 3. I found I actually understood whole sentence of Ania Wyszkoni at times! Anyway, I feel a bit aimless in my searches, typically going from one popular hit to another popular hit, so I'd enjoy hearing personal favorites of Fodors folks. I'd gotten some good pointers on German language favorites in the past, so I'd love to hear about your Polish favorites!

Thank you and looking forward to hearing from you, Daniel

Interesting post, as I might be extending my small collection of Polish music during my next visit this summer. (I will check out the names you mentioned.) I'm still in a too early stage of my language studies to really understand the lyrics but every now and then I catch a line. But music helps to get a feeling for the sound of a language.

A favourite of mine is Ryszard Rynkowski. I also like the band Wilki ("the Wolves"), Grzegorz Turnau, Kasia Kowalska.

I have tried listening to music as a way of bolstering my language skills but it doesn't work for me unless it's songs for children.

That being said, it was a great day when I finally understood the lyrics to Du Hast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzGKsXPBILw

Yeah, it was A1 level stuff, but a breakthrough is a breakthrough.

Quokka, sparkchaser-- Thank you for the suggestions (both Polish and German). My linguistic abilities in both languages are such that I only catch snippets, but even those snippets I think of as reinforcement to the language principles I've learned already. I listened to Za Mlodzi, Za Starzy by Ryszard Rynkowski and liked it; curiously enough, the song reminds me in style of some Spanish/Latin American music, despite being in a different language.

LOL Daniel - same here, I am always proud when I recognize a word or two or even understand the title of a song. We seem to be at a similar level. But we'll learn something new every day, and sometimes in the distant future we'll be fluent!!!

I'm listening to Ryszard Rynkowski right now (I have two of his CDs that I bought in Kraków a couple of years ago, long before I even dreamed of ever learning that language).

It's a global world and musicians take their inspiration from everywhere. I don't know that particular song but he may well have used something from the Spanish speaking world. The songs on my CDs are mostly ballads, others more rock'n'roll rhythms.

I have to say that I <b>LOVE</b> Eastern European pop music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtSvKqCamt4

You won't learn any Polish listening to this, but it sure will help your dancing!!

"Jesteśmy na wczasach/On holidays" Say that in Poland and everybody will immediately know this.

The younger version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVFlifDxV80

The original version by one of the coolest guys, we all wanted to be like him when we grew up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRfiddT5-aM

Still hot but really hot in the sixties:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8JHgGVWAP0

You might be familiar with this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptvbwoXiKQ0

My favorite song is this one(because of the scenery, of course)
The only way to see the port of Gdansk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIcqint40Nw

Tell me when to stop Daniel. I can go down memory lane forever.

Mark

Uwielbiam!!! LOVE it!!!! Just listened to "Maleńczuk & Waglewski - Biust"... absolutely loved it; they look like they're having fun on that boat too! Irena Santor - Piosenka o sąsiedzie too! Will listen to more of your selection later.

Dziękuję bardzo! DANIEL

PS Czy mieszkasz też teraz w Kanadzie, Montreal?

Proszę bardzo, Daniel.

Mark

PS Tak, na West Island.

Breakout - back in the late 60s early 70s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whrKQYfB74E

Czeslaw Niemen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJdPAM-ZzsU

Budka Suflera

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlBgRwfjyvU

Lady Pank

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCHqo6tsZYY

AAFrequentFlyer--Thank you for exposing me to some Polish good old-fashioned rock 'n roll. I'm really blown away by the breadth of Polish music scene!

Thanks AAFrequentFlyer - Budka Suflera have just made it onto my CD shopping list for the next Poland trip.

I just wanted to give a belated thank you to you as well AAFrequentFlyer; listening to "Jolka Jolka Pamiętasz" now by Budka Suflera. Classic rock at its best. I'm sorry it's only now in my 40s that I'm discovering such talent.

Don't overloook Poland's entry in Eurovision 2014:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ920cN2HmA

Stick with it until the washboard and butter-churning.