MP3 Monika Lidke - Waking up to Beauty
"Waking up to Beauty" by multilingual singer-songwriter, Monika Lidke, is a collection of 10 self-penned songs. It will have a lot of appeal to listeners who like genuinely emotional, soulful, lilting compositions and straight from the heart poetic lyrics
10 MP3 Songs in this album (40:56) !
Related styles: JAZZ: Jazz Vocals, FOLK: Folk-Jazz
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Details:
Born in Poland, I sung in a choir as a child and later studied classical guitar with Cezary Strokosz. Thanks to this man, who quickly became a dear friend, I was involved in organising several guitar festivals. It was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life: gathering people who hold the same passion for music to watch them share what they do best...
I went to Paris in 1992 to study singing, theatre and dance under the direction of Christian Pages at Ecole Superieure du Spectacle. It was a wonderful experience and the beginning of a musical journey full of interesting encounters.
In Paris I also studied jazz singing with an incredible singer-songwriter Carole Simon who paints beautiful landscapes with sounds and words. Her lyrics in French are a pure joy.
Paris was a place where I absorbed and experimented a lot. No Way was the trilingual project with which I composed eclectic tunes and arranged guerrilla gigs on the tube. We attracted a devoted audience thanks to the unconventional methods of publicity that we used. A documentary about underground musicians called “On entend rien ici” describes our approach.
I co-wrote songs with many different people, Channel No Zinc being one of the most important collaborations. I realised then that I had a very personal vision for my songs and started feeling unhappy with the compromises that co-writing requires. I also noticed that different languages asked for certain musical approaches and I instinctively surrendered my song ideas to the language that seemed to impose itself. I craved the total freedom; I wanted my songs to emerge raw and untouched by speculation on how they should sound. Nowadays, songs just seem to happen: they knock on my door at the most unexpected moments and wait to be brought to life.
In 2004 I was looking for a change: I decided to learn more about jazz and chose London. I was lucky to meet the exciting performer and jazz educator Anita Wardell. Her style is brave, unique and uncompromising. The freedom that comes from knowledge and experience is pure joy.
London is a very dynamic, welcoming and multicultural place and it continues to surprise me. Walks by the river Thames inspired songs such as “Barnes Bridge” and “Higher self”. An English breakfast witnessed the birth of “Bread on toast”: a song so impatient that it had to be written on the spot, on a “Metro” newspaper, next to a plate of fried eggs and bacon. “Waking up to Beauty” is a celebration of life. Life’s beauty, its creative mistakes, the variety of influences and its incessant movement are all expressed here. The intimate lyrics reflect with gratitude on past experiences, and a good splash of humour spices it all up.
The enchanting and dreamy essence of the album is heightened by references to fairy tales and stories such as “The little Prince”, “Beauty and the beast”, “Sleeping beauty”.
"Waking up to Beauty" is an intimate and life affirming set of songs in three languages: English, Polish and French, with the predominance of English. It is about growing and learning: facing the beast to discover the beauty, having “bread on toast” just to be able to do music, burning and building bridges and always hoping that what comes from the heart will be heard with the heart. The music never stops... Music is for me one of the wonders of this world and I thank all the people who make this dream a reality.
Monika Lidke