Zenon Martyniuk – The King of Light and Pleasant Music

Zenon Martyniuk (born June 23, 1969) is a Polish singer and guitarist. He began making waves on the domestic pop music scene in the early 1990s and remains the undisputed king of the disco-polo genre to this day. As the leader of the band Akcent, he has the ability to energize any audience during concerts. Zenon Martyniuk’s popularity has not waned over the years; on the contrary, his fan base continues to grow. The musician performs over 300 concerts annually, and during the summer season, his songs can be heard in virtually every nightclub across Poland.

The Beginnings of a Career — From a Humble Boy from Gredele to Performing at the Congress Hall

Gredele is a small village in the Podlaskie Voivodeship, in the Orla commune. This is where Zenon Martyniuk was born and where he gathered his first musical experiences. Music was always a part of his life, thanks to his mother and grandmother Nina. Their family home was often filled with the traditional singing of these two women. His grandmother even participated in folk song contests. Zenon’s uncles frequently played at village parties, and young Zenon would accompany them to listen and observe, especially the older musicians. He often performed during school events. A self-taught musician, Zenon never attended any formal music school. He joined his first band, Akord, at the age of 15, performing at local events and weddings. He also played in bands such as Centrum, Zenki, Orfeusz, and Venus.

In 1989, he co-founded the band Akcent with Mariusz Anikiej. The name was derived from the syllables of the names of Zenon Martyniuk’s and Mariusz Anikiej’s first bands, Akord and Centrum. The band rehearsed in the building of the Military Recruitment Command in Bielsk Podlaski, performing at military events in exchange for the rehearsal space. In 1991, they released their debut cassette, simply titled Akcent, featuring the band’s first hits such as “Chłopak z gitarą,” “Dajcie mi gitarę,” and “Tabu tibu.” Their initial concerts were for the Polish community in Belgium. Between 1991 and 1993, the band saw a lineup change—Anikiej left, and Henryk Meller joined. The band also changed its name to Ex-Akcent. Together, they released three albums: Szczęśliwy czas (1991), Piękna niedziela (1992), and Kolędy (1992).

In 1992, Zenon Martyniuk performed at the Congress Hall during the First Gala of Popular and Sidewalk Songs. Around this time, Anikiej returned to Poland, and they revived the band under its original name. This period saw the creation of hits like “Życie to są chwile,” “Gwiazda,” and “Królowa nocy.” In 1994, Martyniuk released his solo album Wspomnienie. The following year, he released Czar miłości. The next year marked a time of experimentation, resulting in the album Akcent Dance, which featured a completely different style of music. The subsequent years brought four new albums.

Zenon Martyniuk — Musical Journey in the New Millennium

In 2001, the album Moja gwiazda was released, marking the last collection of original material from the band. The following year, the compilation Platynowe przeboje came out. In subsequent years, Zenon Martyniuk focused on producing new songs frequently played in clubs. In 2014, the single Przez twe oczy zielone was released, becoming Martyniuk’s signature song and winning the audience award in Ostróda. Over the years, this song about green eyes could be heard in nearly every corner of the country.

The band’s popularity shows no signs of waning, as new songs continually become hits. In 2018, production began on the feature film Zenek, and the following year, Martyniuk appeared as a guest on the TV show Szansa na sukces, with over 2.5 million viewers tuning in. The New Year’s Eve event Sylwester Marzeń in Zakopane, featuring Martyniuk, also enjoyed great popularity. Over the past years, Zenon Martyniuk has consistently performed concerts in Poland and abroad. In 2019, he celebrated the 30th anniversary of his artistic career. The leader of Akcent currently resides in Grabówka near Białystok.

Discography with Akcent:

• Akcent 1 (1990)
• Akcent 2. Żegnaj mała (1991)
• Dajcie mi gitarę (1993)
• Słuchajcie chłopcy (1993)
• Życie to są chwile (1994)
• Czar miłości (1995)
• Dance (1996)
• Kolędy (1996)
• Oczarowałaś mnie (1997)
• Akcent Gold (1997)
• Wyznanie (1998)
• Wspomnienie (1999)
• Moja gwiazda (2001)
• Przekorny los (2016)
• Zaczarowana wyspa (2018)

Zenon Martyniuk — EPs and Solo Albums:

• Wspomnienie (1994)
• Do Ciebie (2006)
• Ja gnam przed siebie (2019)

Singles:

• Ostatni klaps (2015)
• Za zdrowie pań (2015)
• Leć kolędo w świat (2017)
• Jola (2019)
• Nasza jest ta noc (2019)
• Czas świątecznych cudów (2021)

Translation: Paweł Skarzyński

Check it out: Daj to głośniej – the group’s history.
Check it out: Andrzej Piaseczny – Piasek, the prince of Polish pop
Check it out: Tulia – folk, folk, and once more: folk!
Check it out: Zeus – can the god of thunder become a rap god?“
Check it out: Jacko Brango – a breath of fresh air from the edge of Alternative Pop
Check it out: Wojciech Gąssowski – musician who played at all parties

The photos are courtesy of Akcent’s official website.