Songs

From Jerzy Ficowski’s archive, photographer unknown

From the 1950s until the 1990s, Ficowski wrote lyrics for dozens of songs. They were a means of providing financial security, allowing him to “write not for profit”, but he also treated them as a literary challenge. The songs gained him numerous awards, especially his most prominent one, Jadą wozy kolorowe, a pop hit sung by Maryla Rodowicz, which won two awards at the international festival in Sopot.

Ficowski revived the world of the Gypsies through the lyrics of numerous popular songs, some of which he wrote in the Gypsy language for Gypsy artists such as Randia, Michaj Burano and Masio Kwiek. Ficowski’s songs were also in the repertoire of the Polish National Folk Ensemble Mazowsze. Some of the most well-known include Furman (sung by soloist Stanisław Jopek) and Polonez warszawski. Popular artists performing songs with Ficowski’s texts have included Irena Santor, Jerzy Połomski, Jarema Stępowski, Halina Kunicka, Sława Przybylska, Kalina Jędrusik, Anna German, Zdzisława Sośnicka and Edyta Geppert.