Marek Piekarczyk – a legend of Polish heavy metal

Marek Piekarczyk is undoubtedly one of the artists who has left their mark on Polish rock history. Although he is primarily associated with TSA, it is not the only band in his career.

Marek Piekarczyk before the creation of the TSA

Born in Poznań in 1951, Marek Piekarczyk began his musical rise to prominence in 1969, performing with the groups Biała 21, Cechy, and Sektor A. He also co-founded the band Dwustan, Tristan & Izolda, which performed sung poetry, a far cry from his later work. From 1973 to 1975, he also performed with the band Monastyr.

The beginnings of heavy metal

With the advent of the 1980s, he joined the band TSA, or Secret Society of Abstinents (Tajne Stowarzyszenie Abstynentów), founded in 1979. TSA gained popularity by introducing metal music to the Polish music scene and serving as a pioneer of Polish heavy metal. This led to enormous popularity, topping the charts. Their music wasn’t confined to Poland; their tours during this period encompassed numerous countries in Europe and America.

In 1986, he and his band began working with the Musical Theatre in Gdynia, working on the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, in which the group performed alongside an orchestra, with Piekarczyk himself playing the lead role. Over a decade, the musical was performed over 200 times, with its final performance taking place in Gdynia in 1999, as an open-air spectacle organized to celebrate John Paul II’s pilgrimage to Poland.

The next decade began with a brief stint with Ball’s Power (1990-91), followed by a stint in the United States, where he worked and performed for the local Polish community until 1998. In the new millennium, he performed with TSA, with a break from 2018 to 2021.

Marek Piekarczyk not only with TSA

As mentioned above, Marek Piekarczyk has also found time in his musical life for other projects. Besides the aforementioned Ball’s Power, after founding TSA in 2009, he also released a solo album, “Źródło,” and two years earlier, he performed two songs that appeared on the band Yugopolis’ album.

His activities are not limited to his musical work; even before his professional career in this field, he was a painter working with ceramics. He continued to dabble in this activity later, not as a form of income, but as a form of relaxation, as he admitted in an interview. Furthermore, from 2013 to 2014 and subsequently from 2021 onwards, he served as a juror on the television program The Voice of Poland, and since 2016, he has also co-hosted radio programs.

Marek Piekarczyk and his band TSA have become legends of the Polish music scene thanks to their work. Even those who normally shy away from heavy sounds and are unfamiliar with the band’s work must have heard at least the famous “Marsz wilków” from the film “Akademia Pana Kleksa,” performed by TSA.

Marek Piekarczyk’s solo album:

• Żródło

TSA studio albums:

• TSA
• Spunk
• Heavy Metal World
• Rock ‘n’ Roll
• 52 dla przyjaciół
• Proceder

Article: Sebastian Bachmura
Translation: Paulina Lewandowska

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