In 1996, I met an Englishman in Warsaw who was coaching a promising star for EMI International. That artist’s first—perfectly enunciated—eponymous English language album, Edyta Górniak, was released in 1997 by the team responsible for Céline Dion’s international career.
This attention seemed natural, following the stunning second place for Poland’s debut entry at Eurovision in 1994. To Nie Ja! showcased Górniak’s four octave range and quirky looks. Her grandmother had named her after Édith Piaf, and this Polish-Romany songbird was surely taking flight.
Her Polish career accelerated with big ballads and anthems for sporting teams, but international success was ultimately muted. Her album suffered when two of the songs were released by others. The late Robert Miles released his Eurodance version of One & One a year before her, and Martine McCutcheon took Perfect Moment to a UK number one. She nonetheless became the first Polish artist to break into the Euro Top 50 charts.
After being dropped by record labels, Górniak developed independent music with her erstwhile husband enjoying some local and enduring chart success. She also became a judge on several talent shows. Most recently, she has courted controversy by making conspiracy claims about COVID.
Her attempt at a Eurovision comeback failed in 2016 when she made third place at the national final with the song Grateful… but this is not the end of the story. In the first season of The Voice Kids, she mentored Roksana Węgiel, who went on to win Junior Eurovision 2018.