Piasek

Andrzej Piaseczny, popularly known as Piasek, is a Polish singer, songwriter, and actor. Piaseczny’s career spans over three decades, beginning in the early 1990s and continuing strong through 2025. He has released numerous hit albums, starred in television shows, and served as a judge on popular talent competitions. 

1990s: Early Career with Mafia

Piaseczny was born on January 6, 1971, in Pionki, Poland. He showed an interest in music from a young age and pursued musical education in Kielce. His professional career began in 1992, when he became the lead vocalist of the pop-rock band Mafia. With Mafia, Piaseczny recorded three albums between 1993 and 1996: Mafia, Gabinety, and FM. The group gained popularity on the Polish music scene, and Piaseczny’s voice became familiar to many fans.

In 1995, he collaborated with saxophonist Robert Chojnacki on the album Sax & Sex. Piaseczny initially planned only to write lyrics for this project, but he ended up performing almost all the vocals. Sax & Sex was a massive hit. It sold over 800,000 copies and achieved multi-platinum status. The singles “Budzikom śmierć” (“Death to Alarm Clocks”), “Prawie do nieba” (“Almost Heaven”), and “Niecierpliwi” (“Impatient”) dominated Polish radio charts. This success turned Piaseczny into a youth idol, drawing huge crowds to his concerts. By 1996, after releasing Mafia’s third album FM, Piaseczny was ready to pursue new challenges in his career.

1998–2000: Solo Breakthrough

In 1997, Piaseczny made his acting debut on television. He took on the role of Kacper Górniak in the popular Polish TV series Złotopolscy, where he remained in the cast until 2010. Around the same time, he prepared material for his first solo album. In January 1998, Piaseczny released his debut solo album titled Piasek, which quickly reached platinum status in Poland. The album spawned hit singles like “Mocniej?” and “Jeszcze bliżej,” establishing him as a successful solo pop artist. That summer, he even co-hosted the Debiuty (Debuts) gala at the Opole Music Festival alongside singer Kayah. Piaseczny continued to balance music and acting, appearing in theater productions such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (in which he played the prince). He also recorded songs for a Disney animated film (The Magic Sword – Camelot Legend) in duet with Natalia Kukulska in 1998.

In 2000, Piaseczny released his second solo album, Popers. He collaborated with renowned artists on this album, including jazz vocalist Ewa Bem (in the duet “Pół mnie, ciebie pół”) and acclaimed jazz musicians like Wojciech Karolak and Eric Marienthal. These collaborations blended live instruments with 80s-style synth pop, producing popular tracks such as “Miłość podglądaczy”. 

2001–2005: Eurovision and Mainstream Success

The early 2000s brought Piaseczny international exposure. In May 2001, he represented Poland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen. He performed the upbeat dance song “2 Long,” composed by Robert Chojnacki. Although the entry did not win (it finished 20th out of 23 that year), Eurovision introduced Piaseczny to a wider European audience. After the contest, he received offers from foreign record companies. Back home, Piaseczny remained a chart favorite. He released the single “Wszystko trzeba przeżyć” (“You Have to Experience Everything”) in 2003 as a preview of his next album. Later that year, he delivered a self-titled album Andrzej Piaseczny (2003), featuring mature and personal songs like “Szczęście jest blisko” and “Jedna na milion”.

Piaseczny’s success continued through the mid-2000s. In 2005, he released the album Jednym tchem (“In One Breath”), which included popular singles such as the title track and “Z głębi duszy”. That same year, he achieved a major career highlight at the Sopot International Song Festival. Piaseczny performed “Z głębi duszy” at Sopot 2005 and won the top prize, the Amber Nightingale (Bursztynowy Słowik), solidifying his status in Polish pop. He also received numerous music awards during this period, including a Telekamera award in 2010 for Best Musician, and multiple SuperJedynka awards at the Opole Festival. By 2005, Andrzej Piaseczny had become one of Poland’s leading pop artists with several platinum albums and radio hits.

2006–2014: Collaborations and Evolving Artistry

In the late 2000s, Piaseczny explored new musical collaborations and celebrated career milestones. 2008 marked 15 years of his music career, which he commemorated with a double compilation album of greatest hits (15 dni) and a successful anniversary concert tour. He also began a fruitful partnership with legendary Polish composer Seweryn Krajewski. Together they created the 2009 album Spis rzeczy ulubionych (“List of Favourite Things”). Piaseczny wrote lyrics to Krajewski’s melodies. The lead single “Chodź, przytul, przebacz” (“Come, Embrace, Forgive”) became a huge hit, winning a song contest on TV and earning Piaseczny a “Hit of the Year” award. The album quickly reached multi-platinum sales in Poland. This era showcased Piaseczny’s ability to blend nostalgic songwriting with contemporary pop appeal.

In 2011, Piaseczny teamed up with respected singer  for an album titled W blasku światła (“In the Glow of Light”). This project set the poetry of Pope John Paul II to music, highlighting Piaseczny’s versatility and reverence for meaningful lyrics. The following year, he reunited with Krajewski for Zimowe piosenki (“Winter Songs”), a collection of original Christmas-themed songs released in late 2012. Both albums were certified platinum, underscoring Piaseczny’s consistent popularity. During this period, he also wrote songs for other artists. By 2014, Piaseczny had a rich catalog of collaborations and hits, reinforcing his reputation as an enduring figure in Polish pop music.

2015–2025: Television Roles and Recent Projects

From the 2010s onward, Andrzej Piaseczny expanded his presence on television while continuing to release music. In 2011, he joined the inaugural season of The Voice of Poland as a coach and judge. His mentorship on the show was successful. One of his team members reached the finale in the first season. Piaseczny later returned as a judge on The Voice of Poland in 2015, 2016, and 2017. In 2012, he also led a team from his hometown region in the TVP talent show Bitwa na głosy (“Clash of the Choirs”), which his team won.

Piaseczny became a familiar face on Polish television. In 2019, he took on a coaching role in the senior edition of the franchise, The Voice Senior. He served as one of the coaches in the first two seasons of The Voice Senior (2019–2021), even coaching the winning singer of season 2 in 2021. That same year, in the summer of 2021, Piaseczny joined the jury of Dancing with the Stars: Taniec z Gwiazdami (Polsat’s 25th season of the show). Despite his busy TV schedule, he never stepped away from music.

2015-2025

Piaseczny’s recent music projects include the 2015 album Kalejdoskop, recorded with the acclaimed Metropole Orchestra and featuring the single “Kalejdoskop szczęścia”. In 2017, he released O mnie, o tobie, o nas, a gold-certified album that continued his streak of reflective pop songs. To celebrate 25 years of his career, he put out a special compilation titled 25+ in 2018 and performed anniversary concerts. In 2021, Piaseczny marked his 50th birthday with the album 50/50, which included notable collaborations and was promoted as a personal, celebratory record. He followed this with a holiday album in 2023 called Jeszcze zanim Święta (“Before Christmas”), recorded with guitarist Kacper Dworniczak. In total, Piaseczny has released nine solo studio albums and several collaborative albums over his career. Many of his releases have achieved gold or platinum status in Poland, reflecting enduring commercial success.

In January 2025, Piasek celebrated “30 Years on Stage” with a major concert event featuring guest appearances by top Polish artists.