During state funeral ceremonies in the Warsaw suburb of Laski on Thursday, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Culture Minister Piotr Gliński said in a letter that Warska was “a charismatic person and one of the great figures in Polish culture whose work was based on a pursuit of beauty in all its forms.”
Gliński also wrote in his letter that Warska left behind a huge artistic legacy which he said he hoped would be a source of inspiration for future generations.
“This versatile artist will remain in our memory as a great lady of Polish jazz," Gliński said.
Deputy Culture Minister Wanda Zwinogrodzka read out the message as family, friends and fans were paying their last respects.
Warska was known as an iconic performer of songs by her songwriter husband Andrzej Kurylewicz, and she also sang poetry as well as pieces by contemporary Polish composers such as Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, Krzysztof Penderecki and Wojciech Kilar.
She sang songs to her own lyrics and wrote scores for movies including Jan Batory’s 1973 Lake of Mysteries and the 1970s TV series Karino by the same director.
She contributed vocally to films including Andrzej Wajda’s 1969 Everything for Sale.
In 2011, Warska was presented with the Gloria Artis Gold Medal of Cultural Merit in recognition of her contribution to Polish culture.
In April 2016, she suffered a major stroke.
She died in the Warsaw suburb of Laski on Saturday after a long illness.
(gs/pk)
Source: PAP