Natalia Kukulska is one of the most famous and respected Polish vocalists, the writer of many lyrics, and a co-composer of music.
She is the daughter of the legendary singer Anna Jantar and the composer Jarosław Kukulski. In 2000 she married Michał Dąbrówka, one of the best Polish drummers, with whom she has created a perfect duo, both in life, on stage, and in the recording studio.
She started her musical career already at the age of 7. She recorded the albums “Natalia” and “Bajki Natalki” which sold more than two million copies; Natalia was granted the first platinum record in the history of the Polish recording industry.
In 1996, the singer released her first “adult” album “Światło”. Both this release and the following ones were successful, gaining the status of gold, platinum, and even multiplatinum discs from the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry – this last for her album “Puls”.
Natalia Kukulska won her first music award in 1997 at the Festival of the Baltic Countries in Karlshamn, Sweden, where the audience of 13,000 hailed her as the best artist of the festival, and the jury awarded her the third prize. The international festival in Sopot saw her receive the audience award and the jury’s second prize. She is a recipient of Telekamera, Polish Television’s award for the Personality of the Year, and has been repeatedly acknowledged as the Vocalist of the Year by radio stations and industry magazines. She has received as many as 12 nominations for the Fryderyk Award, which she received in 2019 for her acoustic album “Search in your Dreams”, recorded with the jazz guitarist Marek Napiórkowski.
Natalia was the first singer from Poland to perform at the Vatican Christmas Gala, “Natale in Vaticano” alongside stars such as Lauryn Hill and Ronan Keating. She performed the English version of her song “The more of you, the less”. at the German Charity Gala 2001 at the personal invitation of the outstanding tenor, Jose Carreras, which was transmitted all over the world. A few months later, the singer sang a duet with the tenor during his concert in Warsaw.
Although she is exceptionally talented, she does not stop developing her interests and skills. She studied Philosophy at the University of Warsaw, and after many years, she decided to study at the prestigious Musicians’ Institute in Los Angeles.
On 28 August 2020, Natalia released the album “Czułe struny” (“Tender strings”), which was hailed as the greatest artistic production on the domestic music market and an unprecedented event in the world. For the first time, selected works by Fryderyk Chopin were arranged in the form of symphonic pieces, to which lyrics were added. They were given a new, multi-layered setting by five of the best Polish composers and arrangers. The high level of the album was also due to the guest participation of the outstanding pianist, Janusz Olejniczak, whose performances of Chopin are appreciated all over the world. Almost 100 people were involved in the recording of “Tender Strings”, both creatively and as performers.
On the new album, Natalia Kukulska performs Chopin’s works in a completely new version, and she is the author of half of the lyrics.
Natalia decided to celebrate her Silver Jubilee – 25 years since the release of the album “Światło” – with a new record. The EP “Unanimous” was released without any announcement on 24 September. This mini release consists of four, completely original songs, the joint work of Archie Shevsky and Natalia, who is also the author of the lyrics. Musically, it is the essence of what the artist has surprised us with for many years.
A very important part of Natalia’s career is her charity work, and the singer herself has been recognised with the “Charity Star” statuette. As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, she supported the “Schools for Africa” campaign during her visit to Angola in 2007. For several years now, she has been working for the SOS Children’s Villages Association, which provides homes for orphaned and abandoned children in Poland.
Adapted from her website: https://www.nataliakukulska.pl/
