World music

Megitza

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polski

Fot. Katarzyna Jarosz

Maggie "Megitza" Babiarz is a Polish artist – a charismatic Highlander singer, composer, author of lyrics and a talented double bass player. She was taught the art of playing this instrument by her father, a true highlander - Stanisław Babiarz.

Megitza marries the traditional Carpathian music with the modern approach. The artist plays and sings with one particular message: to bring joy and love to the world.

After migrating on her own, from Poland to the United States (2001), as a 16-year-old girl, she has lived a journey of survival, music, and adventure. After 11 years in the U.S.A., she returned to Poland. Megitza's major performances in North America include Chicago's Millennium Park - Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Chicago World Music Festival, Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago Folk and Roots Festival, Lotus World Music and Arts Festival, Chicago Summer Dance Festival, and Taste of Chicago, Copernicus Theater. She is considered to be an influential artist representing Poland abroad. Throughout her career she has been promoting the colorful culture of Poland, especially the Highlander region, where she comes from.

During her career she has collaborated with phenomenal musicians such as Roby Lakatos, Andreas Kapsalis, or Slovak Roma group Sendreiovci. Megitza has recorded an album called “Dobra Nowina” (Good Message) with Renata Przemyk, a famous Polish singer and song writer.

Megitza was invited to perform at two prestigious festivals in 2012 - a Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and a Jazz Fest Vienna in Austria. She is a semifinalist of Poland Got Talent and a finalist of TV show "Must be the Music" in Poland.

The last few years Megitza has been performing with two musicans of Highlander's origin - Stanisław Rzadkosz and Marcin Leśniak, as a Megitza Trio. The band has quickly gained the popularity in Poland due to their original style called "happy metal" - a new music genre invented by the trio. They use traditional instruments and the new electronic drum gadgets, giving their audience the trance-folk sound they love and the tradition inspired melodies sang by all three musicians. Currently Megitza is working on a new album, that will celebrate 10 years of her life on the stage, which is planned to be released in 2018.