Katarzyna Nosowska's first band was Szklane Pomarańcze / Glass Oranges. She performed with an array of groups mainly of the punk rock genre - Włochaty, Kafel, Vivid. She made guest appearances and recorded background vocals for Pidżama Porno and Alians. While collaborating with a Szczecin based group Dum-Dum she met a guitarist Piotr Banach, with whom she founded Hey in 1992. Hey soon became one of the most popular alternative rock bands in Poland.
In 1996 she began a long-term collaboration with producer and multi-instrumentalist Andrzej Smolik and released her first solo album puk.puk" / "knock.knock. Unlike the rock aesthtic of Hey, Nosowska's solo work was inspired by electronic club music (trip hop, drum'n'bass) as well as experimental. Her record received the Fryderyk Award for the best alternative music album. On her following albums, that offered increasingly complex compositions - Milena (1998) and Sushi (2000) Kazik Staszewski and Robert Brylewski made guest appearances.
The material for her next solo album was created over a course of several years in collaboration with two producers Marcin Macuk (musician in the band Pogodno) and Marcin Bors. UniSexBlues came out in May 2007, presenting a unique mix of styles - reggae, electronica and pop. Stanisław Sojka made a guest appearance on this record.
In the autumn of 2008, Nosowska recorded another solo album, on which she interpreted eleven compositions by Agnieszka Osiecka, including such songs as Kokaina, Na Całych Jeziorach Ty, Uciekaj Moje Serce or Zielono Mi (Cocaine, Everywhere On the Lakes – You, Run Away My Heart, I Feel Greened Up, trans. MG). One again, she was accompanied by Marcin Macuk and musicians from UniSexBlues Band. The album received the Fryderyk Award for the best album in the poetic song category.
In the following years the artist devoted herself to Hey. Nosowska’s next solo album – 8 – was released in 2011. The lyrics of all the songs were written by the vocalist herself, while the music was once again taken care of by Marcin Macuk, who was also involved in the production of the album together with Marcin Bors.
Fans had to wait until 2018 for her next album. Basta was awarded with a Fryderyk in the Album of the Year - Alternative category. The album was produced by Michał Fox Król, who had previously worked with Paulina Przybysz and Maria Peszek.
Nosowska released 11 studio albums together with Hey: Fire (1993), Ho! (1994), ? (1995), Karma (1997), Hey (1999), sic! (2001), Music Music (2003), Echosystem (2005), Miłość! Uwaga! Ratunku! Pomocy! (Love! Attention! Rescue! Help!, trans. MG; 2009), Do Rycerzy, Do Szlachty, Do Mieszczan (To the Knights, To the Nobles, To the Townsfolk, trans. MG; 2012), and Błysk (Flash, trans. MG; 2016). In 2017, after 25 years of the band’s existence, the musicians decided to suspend its activity.
In 2018, the artist presented a new version of her hit Jeśli Wiesz Co Chcę Powiedzieć (If You Know What I Want To Say, trans. MG) from 1996’s album puk.puk. The new version of the song has a strong electronic character, as the music was prepared by Natalia Zamilska, one of the leading artists of Polish electronic music.
Apart from her activity with the band Hey, Nosowska collaborated with the bands Voo Voo, Świetliki, Pogodno, Pustki, Ścianka, Silver Rocket, and T Love, she took part in the recording sessions of Yugoton and Czesław Śpiewa. Together with Hey and her solo career she so far has received 21 Fryderyk Awards.
Katarzyna Nosowska, together with Paweł Krawczyk, has composed several songs especially for Shadows (Eurydice Speaks) staged at the Polish Theatre in Bydgoszcz in 2014 with the participation of Elfriede Jellinek.
In 2018, Wielka Litera publishing house released Nosowska’s debut novel, entitled A Ja Żem Jej Powiedziała… (And Then I Told Her…, trans. MG). It was awarded with the title of the Bestseller of Empik 2018 in the Polish literature category.
Among the awards Nosowska has received there are the Passport of Polityka, the Annual Award of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, the awards for "best acting" at the Polish Music Videos Festival Yach Film and over thirty Fryderyk Awards (including 16 with Hey). In 2013, the artist was awarded the Gold Cross of Merit (2013). Machina magazine hailed her as the best Polish vocalist.
Discography:
- puk.puk., 1996, PolyGram Polska,
- Milena, 1998, PolyGram Polska,
- Sushi, 2000, Universal Music Polska,
- UniSexBlues, 2007, QL Music,
- Osiecka, 2008, QL Music,
- 8, 2011, Supersam Music,
- Basta, 2018, Kayax.
Artist's website: http://www.nosowska.pl
Author: Maciej Sienkiewicz, December 2010; updated by MG, November 2019.