How Liszewski and Weekend created a hit known by all of Poland?

“Ona tańczy dla mnie” is one of the most popular tracks in the history of Polish music. Whether people like it or not, almost everyone knows the song’s main melody. How did Radosław Liszewski and his band Weekend manage to create such a legend?

Radosław Liszewski –  story

Radosław Liszewski, best known as the frontman of the band Weekend, was born on May 18, 1976, in Sejny. From an early age, he showed a strong interest in music. At the age of nine, he began playing the drums. Although the instrument never became a part of the band’s typical repertoire, it certainly had a positive impact on his musical development. During his private drum lessons, it became clear that not only was he skilled with the instrument, but he also had a great singing voice.

He didn’t finish high school, although it was during that time that a key event for his future career took place. Liszewski formed a rock band with his friends, an experience that undoubtedly boosted his confidence and later contributed to the massive success of Weekend. While still in high school, he performed on the stages of local clubs, gaining valuable experience.

At the end of the ’90s, Liszewski changed the direction of his career, leaving rock behind in favor of disco polo. Some critics of the genre may see this as a step backward, but in hindsight, it’s hard to agree. Especially when we recall the year 2000 – the moment when Liszewski, together with Tomasz Jakubowski, founded the band Weekend. That’s when it all began.

The Band Weekend

From the very beginning of Weekend’s activity, Liszewski knew what was catchy and what needed to be done to achieve success. This is evident from the fact that the band even had a dance section, which originally included Tomasz Niecikowski and Grzegorz Skowronek. The early days were rather modest – the band played at weddings and in local clubs, slowly building its reputation.

The band’s first major milestone came in 2001, when Weekend made their debut on Disco Polo Live with the music video for the track Playboy. That same year, the group also performed at the National Festival of Disco Polo and Dance Music in Ostróda. The success of Playboy – and, as a result, the entire band – gave the musicians new motivation to keep working. Just a year later, they presented a new track, Usta, which, like its predecessor, was also featured on Disco Polo Live.

Weekend – Najarana Anka

The success of the first two tracks led to an intense period of work for the band. In 2002, Weekend’s debut cassette, titled Playboy, appeared in stores. That same year, the group performed songs from the album at the National Festival of Disco Polo and Dance Music in Ostróda, where they received an award for Best Performance.

In 2004, Tomasz Niecikowski left the band. In the following years, he gained huge popularity thanks to his music, especially with the track Cztery osiemnastki.

That same year, the band released their second album, titled Bawidamek. It featured tracks such as Na fali and Najarana Anka.

Between 2004 and 2010, the band released two albums – Deja Vu in 2009 and Tak jak czuję in 2010. Weekend continued to grow, creating new songs that captured the hearts of disco polo fans. However, their biggest success was still yet to come.

Weekend – Ona tańczy dla mnie

In 2012, Weekend released the album Ona tańczy dla mnie, which included a track of the same name. The song quickly became a hit and gained nationwide recognition across Poland.

The track was composed by Liszewski himself, who admitted that writing the song took him just 15 minutes. The inspiration came spontaneously while creating the melody, and the lyrics appeared almost instantly. It was likely this very simplicity that made so many people fall in love with the song.

Weekend – Ona tańczy dla mnie

The music video for the song was filmed at Face Club in Gdynia. Interestingly, the main role in the video was played by one of the club’s bartenders, who volunteered to take part in the project and even invited two of her friends to join her.

Ona tańczy dla mnie became a breakthrough moment for disco polo music in Poland. Its success further popularized the genre, making the song’s distinctive melody recognizable to virtually every Pole.

The music video for Ona tańczy dla mnie has reached an impressive number of views on YouTube. It currently has over 145 million views, and the number has been steadily growing for years. As of now, it ranks as the 16th most popular Polish song on YouTube, and for a long time, it held an even higher position.

The song’s success led to numerous covers, parodies, and even versions in other languages. Weekend themselves recorded an English-language version of the track, and it was also included in the popular dance video game Just Dance 2017, becoming the first Polish song to appear in the series.

Ona tańczy dla mnie remains one of the most recognizable disco polo songs in Poland, and its impact on the genre’s popularity cannot be overstated.

Weekend Today

After the huge success of Ona tańczy dla mnie, the band experienced a very successful period. Their newfound recognition had a positive impact on future projects, although none of their later songs reached the same level of fame.

Following the release of Ona tańczy dla mnie, Weekend went on to publish three more albums. While they were not as popular as their predecessor, Weekend has remained one of the most well-known disco polo bands in Poland.

Although disco polo music often faces criticism, nearly every Pole knows Ona tańczy dla mnie – and has likely danced to Weekend’s music at some point. The impact this song had on the Polish music scene was astonishing and permanently cemented its place in history.

Discography

1. Playboy (2002 rok)
2. Bawidamek (2004 rok)
3. Deja vu (2009 rok)
4. Tak jak czuję (2010 rok)
5. Ona tańczy dla mnie (2012 rok)
6. Święta z Radkiem (2013 rok)
7. Będziesz na zawsze (2014 rok)
8. Kocham jej oczy (2018 rok)

Written by: Paweł Skarzyński
Photos: https://www.facebook.com/grupaweekend
Translation: Karolina Kubień

Did you like our article? Check out other music news!

Read also:  Józef Skrzek – a multitalented musician. Do you know his songs?
Read also:  Wanda i Banda – Hi-Fi beyond just the name. The band’s story
 Read also:  Fisz – his history. He’s in his element when he’s making music
 Read also:  Jimek – what connect Ranczo, Wisłocka and Sexify? 
 Read also:  Antoni „Ziut” Gralak – the trumpeter who showed how to make jazz
Read also:  Patricia Kazadi – someone who made the most of her chance to be successful