Aldona´s band exists since 1999 in various line-ups and was founded by the Polish singer and songwriter Aldona Nowowiejska in Paris where she studied Dramatic Arts at the Academy of Theater. Although far from her roots, Aldona managed to find herself. While playing around with a lost guitar, her fingers remembered some long-forgotten soft lullabies. Once, whilst Poland´s Communist Fist, these songs served her as an escape. This originated the idea of a band.
Following that, Aldona´s band produced 3 CDs between 1999 and 2008, until success came along with their latest CD „Sonnet“(2011, Jaro Medien, 4305-2).
Aldona’s Style
Aldona’s music is a mix of East-European Folk, Worldmusic and Chanson. It sounds by turns contemplative, humorous, playful, strongly expressive and frail. Guitar, mandolin, banjo, accordion, double bass and oriental percussion wrap her voice in a palette frequently oscillating between two extremes, but always powerful and emotional. The young and passionate woman delivers sweet and expressive singing in her mother tongue. At some point, she makes us think we can actually understand Polish!
In the small Parisian venues, where she tours, she sings in Polish the words of her homeland’s poets. Additionally, makes the words of Shakespeare and Soupault dance. From the accordion and the mandolin a whole new universe appears. This universe is woven with poetic dreams and nostalgia encouraging us to drink the of life to the fullest.
Aldona’s Performance
On stage, she is a frail young woman, though endowed with such incredible energy, who makes the captivated audiences sing and dance along. The public resonates with her unique and sensual presence in a show that is surprising, moving and fun.
This antagonistic appearance made the German Riehener Zeitung to conclude: “She’s barely sung the first notes, and the audience is hanging from her every word. Her singing is wild; the voice now deep and voluptuous, now high and ethereal, first shrill, then darkly foreboding, with slow ascents that remind one of exotic birds or bats. She croons and conjures, squeaks and yells, laughs and suffers[…]. Aldona’s song lyrics are poetic and full of secrets; witty and spiritual.”
Aldona Nowowiejska –vocals, guitar, hand percussion
Raphael Dumas –mandolin, banjo
Stephen Harrison –double bass
Michel Schick –bass clarinet, saxophone, flute, harmonica, ukulele