Polish music stars – a new series of stamps
The Polish Post has introduced a postage stamp from the "Stars of Polish Music" issue. The new philatelic series began with a stamp featuring Krzysztof Krawczyk. In subsequent years, the Polish Post will feature artists who have had the greatest influence on Polish music on its stamps.
The design's author, Marzanna Dąbrowska, depicted a portrait of Krzysztof Krawczyk with a guitar and a facsimile on the stamp. A striking feature is the star perforation on the stamp, which the designer symbolically referenced to the issue's name and its protagonists. The stamp was complemented by an FDC (first day of circulation) envelope issued by Poczta Polska, featuring an image of the musician leaning on a ship's helm and the song titles. The stamp features a portrait of Krzysztof Krawczyk from the early stages of his career, his autograph, and the issue's logo, which becomes visible only when illuminated with a UV lamp. The logo glows red. It consists of five hearts arranged so that a star—the symbol of the entire series—is visible in the center.
" Poczta Polska explores a variety of themes in its issues. We draw inspiration from historical, natural, scientific, and cultural events. We are now launching a new issue, "Stars of Polish Music," in which we present representatives of the Polish music scene from various genres. Our walk of fame begins with Krzysztof Krawczyk, an outstanding Polish vocalist, guitarist, and composer. Krzysztof Krawczyk's music has accompanied Poles since the 1960s, and every generation finds something to enjoy. I hope that just as Krzysztof Krawczyk's music has many fans, our issue, "Stars of Polish Music," will also find a wide audience, " said Wiesław Włodek, Vice President of Poczta Polska.
" Despite technological changes, Krzysztof received enormous numbers of letters and replied to them traditionally. He never asked me for help. If he were alive today, a stamp, envelope, pen, and card would still be his primary means of communicating with his fans, " recalled Ewa Krawczyk, the singer's wife, during the ceremony.
" When I was younger, I was a philatelist. The offer from the Polish Post Office really touched me, because I know that people leave traces on Earth. Krzysztof Krawczyk left traces in the form of recordings and records. Concerts are fleeting, records remain. This time, the records came with a postage stamp. And postage stamps, contrary to popular belief, aren't thrown away; most people peel them off and put them in their albums, " said Andrzej Kosmala, a longtime friend and manager of Krzysztof Krawczyk.
Krzysztof Krawczyk was born on September 8, 1946, in Katowice. He made his debut in 1960, not on the music scene, but as an actor in the film "Satan z Drugiej Grade," where he played a boy scout. In 1963, riding the wave of the Beatles craze, he founded the band Trubadurzy with Sławek Kowalewski, Marian Lichtman, and Jerzy Krzemiński, which gained its greatest popularity after Ryszard Poznakowski joined in 1967. It was thanks to Ryszard Poznakowski that Krzysztof Krawczyk decided to pursue a solo career. His greatest hits, numbering in the dozens – including "Drawing on Glass," "Steamboat," "How the Day Went," "If Only It Were Like This," "I Remember You from Those Years," "What the World Gave Us," "The Last Time You'll Dance with Me," "I'll Follow You Like to a Ball," "We Have Nothing Left," "When Elvis Presley Sang to Us," "My Friend," "Because You Are You," "I Wanted to Be," "Life Like Wine" – are sung by everyone. Krzysztof Krawczyk's versatility is evidenced by his popular duets with Edyta Bartosiewicz, Anna Dąbrowska, Katarzyna Nosowska, Eleni, Urszula, Rod Stewart, Muniek Staszczyk, Andrzej Piaseczny, Maciej Maleńczuk, Bohdan Smoleń, and Norbi.
About the stamp:
designer: Marzanna Dąbrowska
number of stamps: 1
value: PLN 4
circulation: 240,000 pcs
printing technique: offset
stamp format: 31.25 x 43 mm
paper: fluorescent
sales sheet: 12 stamps
date of introduction into circulation: September 3, 2021