Zbigniew Wodecki Square
Kraków Artists: Music
A square in the Planty, between Westerplatte and św. Marka streets, named after Zbigniew Wodecki (1950-2017), a Kraków-born singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer. He started in the 1960s as a violinist in the bands Czarne Perły and Anawa, and in 1968-1973 accompanied Ewa Demarczyk on her concert tours around the world. He made hits such as "Chałupy Welcome to", "Lubię wracać tam, gdzie byłem" and "Zacznij od Bacha"; his songs for the animated series "Maya the Bee" also brought him popularity.
History
The square lies in Planty Park, near the bandstand level with Westerplatte and św. Marka Streets. Kraków City Council decided to create it on 26 February 2020 at the initiative of the foundation named after its patron and the artist's family, and the naming ceremony took place on 6 May 2021. Both the whole green space and the restored bandstand were named after him, and the area was enriched with new plantings: snowberry, Burkwood viburnum and forsythia. Wodecki used to walk this way through Planty Park and along Grodzka Street towards the Main Market Square - taking his children and grandchildren to music school, heading to the Stary Kleparz market or going for coffee with friends.
Zbigniew Wodecki was born in Kraków in 1950 into a family of musicians: his father was a trumpeter in the Polish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra in Kraków, and his mother a soprano. He started with the violin and graduated with distinction from the violin class at the Władysław Żeleński music school on Basztowa Street. At 16 he founded the big-beat band Czarne Perły, a year later he joined the Piwnica pod Baranami cabaret, and later he also played in the band Anawa. From 1968 to 1973 he accompanied Ewa Demarczyk at concerts in Europe, Australia, Brazil and Cuba. As a singer he won the debut award at Opole in 1972. His biggest hits include "Zacznij od Bacha" (Start with Bach), "Chałupy Welcome to" and the title song of the cartoon "Maya the Bee". He sat on the jury of "Dancing with the Stars" for twelve series. He died in 2017, and since 2018 the foundation bearing his name has organised the Wodecki Twist Festival in Kraków.
Did you know?
On the day of the artist's funeral, 30 May 2017, Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" was played from the tower of St Mary's Basilica. The Mass was held in the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the Main Market Square.