Krzysztof Cugowski. 50 years on stage

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the name of Krzysztof Cugowski has been with us for generations. Over all these years, the artist has become a living legend of Polish contemporary music and is commonly known. To say that you don’t know who Krzysztof Cugowski is, equals admitting having slept through decades of Polish culture.

Krzysztof Cugowski and Budka Suflera

Krzysztof Cugowski was born in 1950 in Lublin, where he studied at a music school and high school, and then began law studies, which he did not complete in the end. In 1969, he took his first steps towards a musical career, founding with friends a band, Prompter’s Box. But the group was disbanded the following year, and Cugowski joined Romuald Lipko in his band Stowarzyszenie Cnót Wszelakich. Later, the project changed its name to the one we know today, Budka Suflera.

He was not in Budka Suflera all the time though. He left the group for several years, from 1974 to 1978, and then again due to internal disputes. During his absence he co-created projects such as Spisek, Art Flash and Cross. He returned to Budka Suflera in 1984 and remained in the band for the following decades.

When Cugowski returned, the band gradually developed and gave concerts not only in Poland, but also abroad. In the 90s, the musicians celebrated the 20th and 25th anniversaries of Budka Suflera, and also performed at the famous Carnegie Hall at a concert addressed to Polonia. The concert itself was recorded and released as a double concert album. The 2000s brought another success with the album ‘Bal wszystkich świętych’, but also growing conflicts, which resulted in changes in the group. Krzysztof Cugowski himself, however, remained in the band.

Cugowscy — a family band

2014 marked the end of the band’s activity, but Budka Suflera returned to the stage in 2019. Krzysztof Cugowski, however, did not take part in this return, deciding to go his own way and refusing to identify with the “new version” of the band. In 2014, together with his sons, Piotr and Wojciech, they formed the band Cugowscy, which released two albums, one of which, ‘Zaklęty krąg’ gained gold record status. Although the last concert took place in 2018, Krzysztof Cugowski, instead of joining the new Budka Suflera, decided to take part in several alternative projects. In 2017, he joined Zespół Mistrzów, and toured solo to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his musical career (2018).

In 2022, he appeared as a juror in the Polish edition of the program Your Face Sounds Familiar. During his career, he three times starred in films. The first time was in 1976 in the film ‘Przepraszam, czy tu biją?’, then in 2004 and 2008, respectively in ‘Atrakcyjny pozna panią…’ and ‘Historia polskiego rocka’. He also had a short political episode, when in 2005-2007 he held the mandate of Senator of the Republic of Poland. Currently, although he is not associated with any musical project, Krzysztof Cugowski does not rest and continues to work. According to his official website, he is currently working on a solo music album, as well as his biography and a project combining rock with symphonic music.

Translate: Natalia Walentyńska

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