"It's only a moment, maybe two..." Stanisław Soyka is dead

The final day of the Sopot festival ended with particularly sad news. Presenters announced from the stage that Stanisław Soyka, one of Poland's most acclaimed vocalists and composers, had died. He was 66 years old.

Soyka was scheduled to be one of the headliners on the final day of the Sopot festival. The audience had been eagerly awaiting his performance in the "Orchestra of Masters" concert. However, the performance never took place – the artist died just before the event's finale.

"Today, Soyka and I were doing a soundcheck and we sang "Tolerance" together just a few hours ago," Kasia Sienkiewicz recalled in an interview with TVN.

The concert broadcast was interrupted out of respect for the deceased and his loved ones. However, it returned to the screens shortly afterward, and the artists gathered for the concert sang "Tolerancja," Stanisław Soyka's most famous piece, in honor of his memory.

Stanisław Soyka was born on April 26, 1959, in Żory. He was exposed to music at an early age, singing soprano in a church choir at the age of seven. He studied at a music school in Gliwice, then at a music high school in Katowice, and later at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music , where he studied arrangement and composition.

He began his career in the jazz community , quickly gaining recognition for his vocal talent and improvisational skills. However, his musical journey wasn't limited to jazz. Soyka successfully blended various genres, weaving in elements of pop and soul, allowing him to reach a wide audience.

He gained his greatest popularity with the song "Tolerancja," which became one of the anthems of the 1990s. The song remains a symbol of his work – simple in form, yet full of emotion. Over the years, Soyka has recorded more than a dozen albums, including "Acoustic," collaborated with numerous artists, and his concerts have always attracted crowds of devoted listeners.

In 2022, Grażyna Łobaszewska announced that the musician was struggling with a serious illness and therefore could not perform with her during the anniversary concerts. Despite this, a year later he made a surprise appearance at the Opole Festival , where he sang Czerwone Gitary's song "Gdy już nie zawolem Cię." This performance was his symbolic return to the stage and—as it turned out—one of his last.

Stanisław Soyka didn't need media attention to build his reputation. He stood out for his authenticity, distinctive voice, and extraordinary stage sensitivity. His performances were always a moving experience, and his hits have been hummed by generations of Poles. He passed away suddenly, leaving behind a legacy that has become an indelible part of Polish culture and the music scene. We extend our sincerest condolences to his loved ones.