Author:Agnieszka Kuchnia-Wolosiewicz
Pictures:Krzysztof Konieczny
The fate brings many people into our life’s path, but not all of them leave a lasting
memory.We often think that popularity and even a slightly entitled attitude towards the
world win the day. However, it is sincerity, humility, and great reverence for music that truly touch the heart. These are the qualities possessed by my interviewee. Interestingly enough,from the beginning of our acquaintance, we’ve been thanking each other for something mutually… and its hard to escape from this trap; we can;t stop. Meanwhile, the media only serve a supportive role, and all expressions of gratitude for organizing the magnificent concert of the outstanding Polish artist, Marek Dyjak, belong to: Ireneusz Chyla, Kasia Korczak, and Robert Lewandowski [editor’s note: the similarity of surnames is
coincidental]!”
*Ireneusz IRO Chyła – born in Tczew, with a master’s degree. Since 2004, he has been living abroad, and since December 2020, he has been hosting the Polska Krew program on Radio ProRock.
*Marek Dyjak – is a Polish artist who creates music combining different genres such as rock,jazz, and classical music, with interesting and philosophical lyrics. He gained popularity through his participation in music festivals, where his talent was always appreciated. Due to his gravelly voice, he is compared to Tom Waits. Over the years of his artistic career, he has released several albums.
Agnieszka: What is the Vibe Music 4you project and what are its principles and goals?
Irek: The Vibe Music 4You project was created by a group of people who are fascinated by
music in a broad sense. Kasia has experience in organizing events, parties, and concerts for the Polish community in the UK, Robert is a technical expert – it’s his hobby, and I am a vinyl enthusiast, in addition to being the host of the Polska Krew program on Radio ProRock. Our goal is to organize concerts for interesting artists from Poland and present their talent to a wider audience. The first joint venture was Marek Dyjak’s recital.
Irku, from the stage at POSK, you said that you went to Poland with Kasia Korczak to invite Marek Dyjak to London. Did it really happen?
Yes, it did. Both Kasia and I had a dream to see Marek live, so we decided to invite him to
London. The three of us (accompanied by our friend, Lidka) went to Siennica Rozana near
Lublin. Marek’s response was swift and positive, which put both sides in a wonderful mood.
What made you “fall in love” with Marek Dyjak’s music?
He is a genuine artist with a unique and unparalleled style. Of course, his exceptional vocal
tone adds a magical touch to his songs. Moreover, his lyrics address topics that resonate with ordinary people. Love, death, longing—they are like fado songs, melancholic compositions filled with sorrow. Anyone who listens to Marek’s songs can relate them to their own experiences. Dyjak’s work touches the listeners’ hearts, awakening dormant emotions.
I understand that it was your first endeavor of this kind. It must have been a significant experience. Are there any plans for another event?
Marek’s concert was our first project, and it was truly important. As for future plans, of
course, they exist, but for now, we are taking a well-deserved break. After a short period of
gathering our thoughts, we will definitely meet to discuss plans for the future.
I am impressed that you managed to organize the concert without the involvement of
sponsors, although it is certainly astonishing and sad that Polish businesses in the UK
do not seem to support the cultural activities of the Polish community.
It is a true that the concert was organized at our own expense. We have grown to love both
Marek’s music and his personality so much that the event had to take place regardless of the costs. We sent emails proposing collaboration to many London-based and Polish companies, but unfortunately without any results. We didn’t receive a response from any of these businesses, which is truly disheartening. The behavior of shops and institutions when we asked for advertising for our event was also disappointing. It proved to be a problem to
display posters in shop windows or leave flyers, which doesn’t look good at all.
How do you assess the cultural competences of younger generations living in the UK,especially in the London area? In other words, is there an audience for organizing such beautiful events as Marek Dyjak’s concert; who are the recipients of this art?
The audience for Marek Dyjak’s music is primarily in the 30+ age range, as the younger
generation may not resonate as much with the themes sung by the artist and may be preoccupied with different issues. They may need time to mature and appreciate this type of music.
Youth has its rights and should focus on joy, fun, and planning their own future, while Dyjak,as mentioned before, sings melancholic songs. However, I believe that these young people,once they reach a certain stage in life, will certainly explore Marek’s albums.
What do you do on a daily basis? I already know that you collaborate with ProRock Radio, but Kasia Korczak is still a mystery to me. Do you have any daily involvement with music?
On a daily basis, I work in a large company in Peterborough, and on Saturday evenings, I
hobbyistically host a radio show featuring Polish music on ProRock Radio.
Kasia has some experience in organizing concerts, as she has been involved in it for years.
She has also organized dance events for our Polish community and currently prepares events for foreign ambassadors.
Our sound engineer, Robert, also organizes events, festivals, and concerts. He does what he loves, combining his passion with work, which is an interesting business idea in the UK.
Who are there are other mysterious individuals mentioned: the aforementioned Robert,and then Weronika, Lidka, Danka, Paul… Please provide portraits of these people.
Many people supported our project and helped us with advertising and ensuring everything
was in tip-top shape.
Robert is the person responsible for the sound engineering of the concert. He is a thorough
professional and does an excellent job. Moreover, he is a very kind and friendly person. We
are extremely satisfied with our collaboration. Working together with him was a great joy and pleasure for us.
As for individuals like Lidka, Weronika, Danka, and Paul, they were with us in spirit and
physically present. They actively participated to make the concert a special event… and it
happened! Without all of them, it would have been more difficult for us to manage this
endeavor.
Would you like to express thanks to someone through The London Post?
Special thanks are also extended to all individuals who participated in Marek Dyjak’s concert.
Their presence brought joy not only to us as organizers but also to the Artist himself,
motivating him to further develop his career and reaffirming the belief that it is worth
singing, recording albums, and giving oneself to people. We sincerely thank many, many
people from the depths of our hearts, including you, Agnieszka, and Sebastian
(polonia24.uk), for your interest and assistance in promoting the event. We always
enthusiastically support such beautiful initiatives! We look forward to more and offer our
heartfelt congratulations!
Special recognition goes to Raza Syed (The London Post) for promoting the concert. I met
him at the cultural event of Darek Zeller and Remi Juskiewicz in April. He is a fantastic
person who wholeheartedly supports Polish cultural projects and often participates in them.
