Tulia – folk, folk, and once more: folk!

From a simple cover on YouTube to Fryderyki and collaborations with great artists. Tulia is a band that connects people with Polish traditions through its folk music. How did they start, and where is their career heading?

Tulia – The Beginnings

Tulia is one of those bands whose story is truly enjoyable to talk about. Their adventure in the music world began with a cover of Depeche Mode’s Enjoy the Silence. The iconic band was so impressed with the Polish vocalists’ performance that they decided to share it on their social media. You couldn’t ask for a better start than receiving the approval of such a legendary band.

A month later, in November 2017, the band Tulia was officially formed. The budding singers faced a significant challenge, proving to the world that their recognition by Depeche Mode was genuine and not just a coincidence. They started by releasing two great songs with music videos. The first was a previously mentioned cover of Enjoy the Silence, and then, in February 2018, they released a cover of Dawid Podsiadło’s song “Nieznajomy” (Unknown). Both songs garnered considerable views and attention. Fans eager for folk music were anticipating more from the band, and Tulia did not disappoint. In May, they released their debut album, titled “Tulia.”

Tulia – covers

The debut album of Tulia faced high expectations from their listeners. To meet these expectations, the vocalists decided to focus on covers, a strategy that had previously proven successful. The album consists of fifteen songs in its extended version (which appeared a few months after the standard version). These tracks feature folk interpretations of well-known and beloved songs, including “Eli Lama Sabachtani” by Wilki, “Nigdy Więcej Nie Tańcz ze Mną”(Don’t You Ever Dance With Again) by Ania Dąbrowska, and “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica.
Well, Poles love folk music. The debut album by Tulia was met with a warm reception and achieved significant success, demonstrating our respect for tradition and culture and our desire to engage with it. To clarify the extent of this success, here are some details. The debut album reached seventh place on the OLiS sales chart. For a first project, this was an impressive accomplishment. Moreover, the album achieved platinum status, which means the band sold over thirty thousand records. While this information already highlights the album’s success, there is another achievement that many musicians aspire to. Tulia was nominated for the Fryderyk Awards in 2019 in the New Performance category. Although they did not win that particular nomination, the band celebrated a victory at the same gala, taking home the award for Phonographic Debut of the Year.

The extended version of the album features seven original songs by Tulia, showcasing their ability to create their own music. While these songs are as good as the covers, it was the folk interpretations of popular hits that gained the most attention. However, there were relatively few original performances, leading fans to wonder: Can Tulia produce an album consisting entirely of original songs?

Tulia – Nothing Else Matters – the band’s debut song

Tulia – band members

Tulia Białobrzeska née Biczak – vocals (since 2017)
Patrycja Nowicka – vocals (since 2017)
Dominika Siepka – vocals (since 2017)
Joanna Sinkiewicz – vocals (2017–2019)

Tulia’s own author’s songs

On May 21, 2021, Tulia released a new album – “Półmrok” (Dusk or Twilight). The standard edition of the album features ten original songs along with two additional tracks – a cover of the song “Długość Dźwięku Samotności” (the Length of Loneliness Sound) by Myslovitz and the song “Pali się” (There is a Fire). While this second project did not achieve the same level of commercial success as their first album, it can still be considered a significant accomplishment. The album received positive feedback from listeners, who appreciated the talent of the vocalists from Szczecin.

Like their previous album, “Półmrok” was nominated for the Polish phonographic industry award Fryderyk, this time in the category Album of the Year: roots music/blues. Although it did not win any awards, receiving the nomination itself is an honour to be proud of.

Tulia – Discography

Tulia (2018)
Półmrok (Dusk, Twilight) (2021)
Nim Gwiazda Zgaśnie (Before the Star Fades) (2021)

Tulia Today

Tulia has demonstrated immense talent through their two music albums. They had a strong start and maintained a high level in their later projects. However, the vocalists did not rest on their laurels. They continue to create music that brings Poles closer to Polish culture and tradition. One of their latest releases is the album “Lipcowe 45,” which showcases Tulia’s beautiful folk voice and features two songs by the band.

However, it’s worth noting that Tulia is not only still making music, but they also continue to attract listeners. On the Spotify platform, the band has over one hundred and fifty thousand monthly listeners. This is a solid result, proving that fans still remember Tulia and are waiting for their new albums.

Pusty pokój, ale płyty diamentowe (Empty room but there are diamond plates) – a collaboration of Tulia with rapper Szpaku and Kubi Producent

Tulia trivia

Tulia’s vocalists admitted that they possessed knowledge of the folk singing technique primarily through listening, rather than formal learning.
The band was announced as the Polish representative for the 64th Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv in 2019. They performed the song “Pali się” (There is a Fire), and placed eleventh with a score of one hundred and twenty points (eighth place with viewers and eleventh place with the jury), but did not reach the final.
On May 31, 2024, Tulia collaborated with rapper Szpak on Pusty Pokój, ale Płyty Diamentowe” song, which gained millions of streams on various platforms.
Tulia recorded with Halina Mlynkova the song “Przerwany” (Interrupted), and received in June 2023 the Karol Musioł Audience Award in the Premieres competition during the 60th KFPP in Opole.
In November 2021, Tulia released a Christmas album titled “Nim Gwiazda Zgaśnie” (Before the Star Fades).

Written by: Paweł Skarzyński
Translation: Aleksandra Żaczek
Foto: The band’s official Facebook page

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