Monika Borzym (; born March 3, 1990) is a Polish jazz singer who studied at Los Angeles Music Academy. Her debut album ''Girl Talk'', released in 2011 was certified platinum in Poland.

History

Early life and education (1998–2008)

Monika Borzym began her musical education in 1998, when she started attending music school in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

and playing the piano. From August 2005 to June 2006, she was living in the U.S., where she attended

John Hersey High School John Hersey High School (also referred to as Hersey or JHHS) is a four-year public high school located in Arlington Heights, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago in the United States. It enrolls students from Arlington Heights as well as parts ...

Arlington Heights, Illinois Arlington Heights is a village in Cook County, Illinois, Cook County Illinois, United States. A northwestern Chicago metropolitan area, suburb of Chicago, it lies about northwest of the city's downtown. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

and started learning jazz improvisation from Gail Bisesi in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. After her return to Poland, she continued her education in Fryderyk Chopin Public Secondary School of Music in Warsaw in the class of Jazz Vocal (also attended by another Polish jazz vocalist, Aga Zaryan, several years earlier). In 2008, Borzym received a scholarship to study at

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...

Frost School of Music Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music is the music school at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. From 1926 to 2003, it was known as University of Miami School of Music. Academics and programs The University of Miami's Frost ...

, where she studied in classes of jazz musicians, such as Lisanne Lyons,

Dante Luciani Dante Luciani (born September 1, 1985) is a former professional Canadian football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Edmonton Eskimos in the fifth round of the 2008 CFL Draft. He played CIS football for the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks. L ...

, Chuck Bergeron, Larry Lapin and

Greg Gisbert Gregory Lyle Gisbert (born February 2, 1966, in Mobile, Alabama) is an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist.Gary W. Kennedy, ''"Greg Gisbert''. '' Grove Jazz'' online Early years and school Gisbert played drums with his father as a child ...

Break-through, ''Girl Talk'' and ''My Place'' (2009–present)

During the 2009 edition of the

Jazz Jamboree The Jazz Jamboree Festival, simply known as Jazz Jamboree, is one of the largest and oldest jazz festivals in Europe, and takes place in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. History The first Jazz Jamboree was organised by the Hybrydy hot-club. It was ...

festival, she was the only Polish artist and the only female artist invited by

Michał Urbaniak Michał Urbaniak (born January 22, 1943) is a Polish jazz musician who plays violin, lyricon, and saxophone. His music includes elements of folk music, rhythm and blues, hip hop music, hip hop, and symphonic music. History He was born in War ...

to perform in the

Congress Hall Congress Hall, located in Philadelphia at the intersection of Chestnut and 6th Streets, served as the seat of the United States Congress from December 6, 1790, to May 14, 1800. During Congress Hall's duration as the capitol of the United State ...

Palace of Culture and Science The Palace of Culture and Science (; abbreviated ''PKiN'') is a notable high-rise building in central Warsaw, Poland. With a total height of , it is the second tallest building in both Warsaw and Poland (after the Varso Tower), the sixth talle ...

. In 2010, Borzym signed a contract with Sony Music Poland. Her debut album ''Girl Talk'', recorded in the U.S. and produced by Matt Pierson, was released on 3 October 2011. It contained fresh interpretations (arranged by

Gil Goldstein Gil Goldstein (born November 6, 1950, in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American jazz pianist and accordionist. He has won 5 Grammy Awards and he was nominated 8 times. Biography He began studying accordion at age 5 after noticing it in The Lawrence ...

) of songs originally recorded by female jazz, soul and pop artists, such as

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...

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Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu, is an American singer and songwriter. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...

and

Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer, songwriter, musician, and businesswoman. With over 30 million records sold worldwide, she was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix ...

, among others. The album has received critical acclaim and was certified Platinum in Poland. On 15 October 2013, Borzym released her sophomore album, '' My Place'', consisting of original material and three covers.

Personal life

In 2010, Borzym married Makary Janowski, son of Polish singer and TV presenter Robert Janowski; the couple used to live in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. They divorced after five years of marriage. In 2019, Borzym had her first child with her partner, Polish musician Michał Bryndal.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Borzym, Monika 1990 births Living people Date of birth missing (living people) University of Miami Frost School of Music alumni Polish jazz singers Polish women jazz singers English-language singers from Poland 21st-century Polish singers 21st-century Polish women singers Polish expatriates in the United States