27 Facts About Basia

Basia began singing professionally in various Polish bands beginning in the late 1960s and during the 1970s, then moved to the UK in 1981.

Basia rose to fame as a singer in the British trio Matt Bianco.

Basia made a comeback to regular recording and performing beginning with the release of Matt's Mood, a Matt Bianco album in 2004.

Basia was born in Jaworzno, Poland on 30 September 1954.

Basia's mother played piano and gave her first music lessons.

In 1969, Basia performed as a vocalist in a local band, Astry, appearing with them at the National Festival of Beat Avangarde in Kalisz where they won.

Always good at exact sciences, Basia had intended to study mathematics at the Jagiellonian University, in Krakow but eventually took up physics.

Basia accepted the offer in 1972, dropped out of university, and toured with them in Poland and abroad, mostly in Eastern Bloc countries, until 1974.

In 1976, Basia took part in the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole as a soloist to no success.

Basia met Danny White there and his collaborator Mark Reilly by answering their ad in Melody Maker.

Basia recorded a 16-song live album, Basia on Broadway during the New York City leg of that tour.

In 1996, Basia contributed vocals to Peter White's song "Just Another Day" which was released as a single from his album Caravan of Dreams.

The compilation was Basia's last release for Sony and was a minor success only in Japan, largely due to lack of promotion from the label.

Basia withdrew from the music industry when her mother, to whom she was very close, died in December 2000.

Basia toured extensively in Europe, east Asia, and North America to promote It's That Girl Again.

In March 2013, Basia performed a full show at the Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Basia recorded duets with Polish artists Monika Lidke and the band Pectus for their respective albums, simultaneously working on the new solo album.

In November 2019, Basia was honored with the Kosciuszko Foundation Pioneer Award.

Basia's success has derived primarily from eclecticism rather than originality.

Basia's songs are inspired by Latin American music, especially Brazilian, and genres including bossa nova and samba.

Basia has cited Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Burt Bacharach, Astrud Gilberto, and Antonio Carlos Jobim as being among her musical influences.

Basia is noted for having a wide vocal range of approximately three octaves.

Basia has always tried to incorporate Polish elements into her songs which are otherwise English.

Basia has released two songs performed entirely in Polish: the concert album Basia on Broadway features a live recording of "Dzien sie budzi", and It's That Girl Again has "Amelki smiech".

Since 1991, Basia's partner has been musician Kevin Robinson, a member of Simply Red, with whom she lives in a London suburb.

Basia maintains a house in her Polish hometown Jaworzno and divides her time between the two countries.

Basia is an avid lover of architecture which she calls her "unfulfilled passion".