| Urszula Dudziak | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Born | 22 October 1943 |
| Origin | Bielsko-Biała, Poland |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupations | Singer |
| Years active | 1972- |
| Labels | Inner City Records |
| Associated acts | Krzysztof Komeda, Michał Urbaniak, Gil Evans, Archie Shepp, Lester Bowie |
| Notable instruments | |
| Piano | |
Urszula Bogumiła Dudziak-Urbaniak (born 22 October 1943) is a leading Polish jazz vocalist. She has worked with such artists as Krzysztof Komeda, Michał Urbaniak (her ex-husband), Gil Evans, Archie Shepp, and Lester Bowie. Her 1970s song "Papaya" gained widespread popularity in Asia and Latin America in 2007.
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Dudziak was born in the Straconka neighborhood of Bielsko-Biała, Poland. She studied piano, but began to sing in the late 50s after hearing records by Ella Fitzgerald. Within a few years she was one of the most popular jazz artists in her native country. She met and later married Michal Urbaniak, In the late 60s they began to tour overseas and in the 70s settled in New York.
Dudziak has some problems with language and customarily eschews words in favour of wordless vocalizing that is far more adventurous than scat. Already gifted with a remarkable five-octave vocal range, Dudziak employs electronic devices to extend still further the possibilities of her voice. She has frequently worked with leading contemporary musicians, including Archie Shepp and Lester Bowie, and was a member of the Vocal Summit group, with Jay Clayton, Jeanne Lee, Bobby McFerrin, Norma Winstone, Sting, Michelle Hendricks, and Lauren Newton.
On November 11, 2009, Dudziak was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta by President Lech Kaczynski.
In 2007, Dudziak's classic 1970s song "Papaya" saw a resurgence in popularity in the Philippines where it was regularly featured in a local noontime TV game show Pilipinas, Game KNB?. A favorite track for Filipino drag queens as lip-synch material in the '70s gay disco/bar scene, the song then saw a revival when a TV host danced to the tune, helping to spread the popularity of the song to Latin America and the US. The dance has then been featured in several news programs, including MSNBC,[1] and Reuters.[2] On 21 March 2008, the dance was featured on ABC's Good Morning America, where the hosts also danced to the song.[3]