Żywizna (in Kurpie means ‘nature) is a duo of guitarist Raphael Rogiński and singer Genowefa Lenarcik, daughter of the great representative of Kurpie folklore, Stanisław Brzozowy.
Żywizna creators enjoy the traditions of forest singing, evoking in common works the wildness and mystery of the Green Forest (in Polish – Puszcza Zielona). The nature of the compositions is created by unique lyrics of traditional Kurpie texts and Raphael Rogiński's guitar, which draws from many modern cultures. In this music, forest singing meets distorted electric guitar sounds, bringing an association with the blues from the delta of the Mississippi . The guitar sounds sometimes imitate the song, and sometimes they engage in discussions with it about nature, the inhabitants of the forest and their emotions.
------------------------------
Mikołaj Rykowski PhD
Musicologist and clarinetist, doctorate, and associate at the Department Music Theory at the Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań. Author of a book and numerous articles devoted to the phenomenon of Harmoniemusik – the 18th-century practice of brass bands. Co-author of the scripts "Speaking concerts" and author of the spoken introductions to philharmonic concerts in Szczecin, Poznań, Bydgoszcz and Łódź.
