Interview with Jaroslaw Wasik
Admirers of “The Land Of Gentleness” and poetry in music know perfectly well his warm, matt voice and the song “Nastroje” which won the hearts of listeners. After a long break in recording he comes back with a new album which contains a surprise for fans. In an exclusive interview for Opinia Jaroslaw Wasik talks about his life, passions and music.
You have a degree in cultural studies, as well as singing and acting. Don’t you miss acting?
JW: I dreamt about being an actor when I was at school. As a 15-year old boy spending a winter break in Warsaw, I entered the Academy of Theatre at Miodowa Street for the first time and unnoticed by a doorkeeper, I was strolling through the corridors, watching a board with pictures of the graduates and drank three coffees in the school buffet. I remember the coffees were sort of an excuse as at the same time I was listening carefully to the classes conducted by Jan Englert for the student, which took place it the very buffet. I think it was a break from working on a diploma performance, but the students were eager to make use of the master’s hints outside a rehearsal room. I dreamt about studying there. After my A-levels I put the documents and went for an exam. I told “Niepewnosc” by Mickiewicz and “Pobor” by Grochowiak. I failed after the first stage. For a moment I thought the world had tumbled down, but later on I finished a vocal school in two and a half year, I started to win festivals, write songs, give concerts and soon I stopped regretting that I wasn’t an actor. Being an actor demands working in a team, but I strongly prefer to take responsibility for my work on my own.
What’s your biggest passion in life?
JW: People. Meeting them, talking, exchanging opinions, being with them. Travelling more often across Poland rather than abroad. Poetry, cycling, music, concerts, theatre, broadly understood media, journalism, “walkology”, to name but a few.
On your site there’s a section devoted to cuisine. Is it your hidden talent?
JW: It’s another passion. I discovered it long time ago. I found out that having the “courage” to try and take the risk that something would be thrown away if it didn’t work – which sometimes happens – was very helpful. One has to win over all the habits that come from one’s own home, which is “remember, food can’t be thrown away!”. Especially at the beginning when it’s difficult to tell one kind of meat from another in a shop, not to mention of how to prepare it. You have to risk, otherwise you’ll stick to a skill of making scramble eggs and tea with lemon to the rest of your life. Thanks to showing a bit of risk in the kitchen, step by step I started to try and right now cooking doesn’t trouble me – quite the opposite, it’s enjoying and relaxing. Here I have to admit the biggest fun is cooking for the others, not for oneself. I guess my speciality is soups. Green ones. Spinach soup with bits of fried roulades, garlic and grated cheese, broccoli soup with toasts, and sorrel soup served classically with hard boiled eggs. I also make mushroom crème soup and Polish sour rye soup which owes its great taste and consistency to leaven bought in the bar “Pierozek” in Opole. On my site there’s an easy recipe for tortilla which I invented on my own, but the ingredients and the way of preparing I copied having been on a brilliant holiday in Mexico. Unfortunately, it’s the only place outside Europe that I’ve visited so far, but the memories, including those relating to cuisine, I’ve been cultivating until today.
You’ve been awarded with many prizes and distinctions granted by both juries and the audience. Which is the most precious to you?
JW: The most valuable prize is the audience that has come to my concerts until today regardless if I perform in Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan, Slupsk, Olecko, Olesno, Turek, Siedlce, Brzeg, Szamotuly or Kwidzyn. All the dwellers of the cities I didn’t mention, please, forgive me.
The music you deal with is neither easy nor popular. Doesn’t it discourage you?
JW: I’ve never reckoned on being an artist who would sell thousands of records. I’m happy when there’s a hundred of people eager to spend an evening with Wasik, his music and lyrics.
Who’s the addressee of your music?
JW: I guess they’re more often women than men (though I might be wrong), rather matured people than the young, also definitely people sensitive to words, and loving acoustic sound of music.
It’s been fourteen years since “Nastroje” could be heard for the first time. Were you recognisable then and now?
JW: There was a moment when the intensity of the glances in the streets was high. Nowadays I happen to be recognised, but more often when I speak. Besides, it’s nice when suddenly someone associates my voice and remembers my songs. If I didn’t speak, I could stay totally incognito.
Do you have any favourite among all your songs, if so – which one?
JW: Apart from „Nastroje”, which has been enjoyed by many listeners, the other song that I always sing with high emotions and I guess stays in people’s minds is “Przeslanie dla nadwrazliwych” with music by Pawel Damc and lyrics by Kazimierz Dabrowski.
What do you usually listen to?
JW: The only album from a circle of “The Land Of Gentleness” I’ve listened for many years (preferably in the morning) is the second album of Grzegorz Turnau – “Pod Swiatlo”. Usually my home is filled with sounds sang by such artists like Jill Scott, Alicia Keys, Michael Buble, Sting, Air… I also listen to a lot of radio, for example Pin, Polish Radio 3, Chilli Zet, Tok FM, Polish Radio 1, and some other local radios when I’m travelling. Apart from music, I look to radio for information, reportages and programmes that don’t shout at people.
The PhD degree you’re working on right now consumes lot of time and energy. How do you relax?
JW: I relax among people. The scholarly research fully satisfies my need for loneliness.
Are you realistic or would you rather wear “a boot in a buttonhole”?
JW: I hate relating to the zodiac signs, but all the features to Capricorn are actually mine. I like to plan, schedule a day not to waste time. Recently I’ve found the reminders fixed in my mobile phone not sufficient and I’ve come back to my old, good pocketbook, which I always carry with me. I need to have one page for each day. Otherwise I get lost but it’s entailed to my additional activities I’ve dedicated myself to. For four years I’ve organised the Festival of Artistic Song “Poetic Valley” in Sluzew in Warsaw – the event lasts one day, but I work the whole year on it. Organising of such festival requires lots of things, starting from inviting the stars, jurors, presenters, contestants, media patrons, through hotels reservations, advertisements, to ordering chairs for the audience, choosing advertising pillars and buying a layer cake for a winner of the grand prix prize. Without a calendar I’d be lost in a thicket of tiny things and undone phone calls.
What will your next album be like?
JW: Authorial and acoustic. Igor Przebindowski is a music producer of the album, I wrote all the lyrics, and the music is composed, apart from Igor, Robert Cichy and Tomek Ordaszewski. It will be modern, but also poetic. I hope I’ll surprise those people who think I got stuck in 90s of the previous century. All that might happen as a result of the new album I call “WASIK – RELOADED” and I smile to myself. Let’s wait to the autumn because talking about music is just like dancing about poetry (laugh).
Thank you so much for the interview and good luck with all your plans.
