Jopek, who has sold more than a million albums, owes the gene of musicianship to her father. In conversation with Guardian 20, she speaks about her recent tour in India and the significance of jazz in the world of music.
Q. This was your debut in India. How was your experience performing here?
A. I have this fortune and honour to meet people, and explore cultures and the world through music. I consider every such experience as a special gift of fate. I wouldn’t dare to dream of performing in India because the richness of your culture and its beauty, both in historical and geographical terms, are so enormous, that in comparison my presence in music is like adding a grain of sand. Still, here I am! In this country, I experienced the wondrous heartiness of my audience and a great understanding of my Slavic music.
Q. Could you tell us about Polish music and how it has influenced your artistry?
A. In Polish music is, first and foremost, one finds the beauty of melody. Over the centuries we have developed a specific kind of lyrical sound, dissimilar to any other. I often relate to Polish folk scales and folk harmony. We often play folk songs as well. They are the starting point for the universal language of improvising. These songs are our standards like classics for many would be. They live longer than we do and it’s wonderful to draw inspiration from their everlasting beauty in search of the language of contemporary music. Also, I always sing in Polish. Polish sounds as beautiful as Portuguese, Brazilian or French. It’s a sound value so interesting on its own and a carrier of such a vast amount of energy that you don’t have to understand the meaning of words to enjoy its beauty. I consider it my specific feature in the world of jazz and world music. My native tongue has become the key attribute of my music personality.
“I think the key to all the best experiments and fusions is the ability of oneself and the music to listen to each other. Obviously, it’s good to have a good taste in music, but if you listen well you cannot have a bad taste.”
Q. You are a trained classical pianist and jazz musician. When did you develop interest in these? And what is the significance of jazz music in world music?
A. I have studied the classical piano for 17 years, but it wasn’t my calling. In parallel with studying at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music I searched for the other truth in music. As I said, I got to know folk music at home. When I was a teenager I discovered jazz and all I wanted in the world was to sing like Shirley Horn. Ultimately, I didn’t sing jazz or true world music. I’m somewhere in between. But I don’t like classifications and categories. I think it’s wonderful to search for your own voice in music. Even if it’s modest, it should be individual and sincere. I adhere to this. I cooperate with artists of every culture and poetics in music. There’s only one criterion — the openness of mind and heart, the willingness to dialogue.
Q. You effortlessly merge feisty folk rhythms with jazz and classical music. Could you please tell us about your creative process?
A. If you take a beautiful Polish folk song, re-harmonise it in the spirit of jazz harmony, and if you devise a beautiful form so that this particular theme is a pretext for improvisation, plus, you have a great band that would put its own characteristic interpretation on it, then all that’s left is to listen. The music happens by itself. I think the key to all the best experiments and fusions is the ability of oneself and music to listen to each other. Obviously, it’s good to have a good taste in music, but if you listen well you cannot have a bad taste.
Q. You have also performed alongside iconic musicians like Sting, guitar virtuoso Pat Metheny, Senegalese legend Youssou N’dou, multiple Grammy Award-winners like Bobby McFerrin, jazz bassist Richard Bona, and bossa nova icon Oscar Castro-Neves among others. How did these luminaries inspire and influence you?
A. Meeting these people was a celebration and a great honour. They didn’t attain such level of communication through music accidentally. Each of these persons created their own language in music. Each of them is the master of their art. An opportunity to stand next to them and breathe in the same air forever changed my perception of things. It is impossible to describe my gratitude to them — for their contribution to music and their influence on my life. The longest-lasting inspiration in my life is Sting. I started listening to him as a little girl. He has created such quality in music that communicates on every latitude and it’s top class. It’s a rare gift which he possesses. I always wanted to sing like him, write, arrange, produce music like he does and have as much energy to perform every day — just as he does. He’s a music giant. Working with Pat Metheny on Upojenie album gave me more than studying at a university. Oscar Castro-Neves, on the other hand, appeared in my life when my dad was gone. He gave me so much love that I started to sing better than ever before. I had and I still have a lot of luck meeting my masters. But anyone can become my master. For a while, I was teaching music at school. Kids can ask spot-on questions regarding art. They can inspire to do great things. So anyone can be my master and give me a pointer for my artistic development.
Q. You have also played at some of the world’s most prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl, and the Royal Festival Hall among others. Do you have any location in mind where you have not yet performed at but truly wish to?
A. I never dream that way. All invitations are the consequence of my honest, everyday work on stage. My mission is visiting small towns in Poland, where people have limited access to concerts. I go everywhere where my voice can give people a bit of happiness. Whether it’s Hollywood Bowl or a modest stage in a town of Zyrardow, Poland, I always give my best. But obviously, it’s an honour to perform on the finest stages of the world and I’m always happy to walk the paths of the ones who created the history of music. At Carnegie Hall, for instance, I got Bernstein’s wardrobe. I couldn’t sleep for a week after that. I have had great luck to make my dreams come true through music. India was one of my biggest dreams. And it just came true. Thank you for this!