Sąsiedzi

A group from Poland, from Silesia. They have been performing world folk music for over 20 years, mainly traditional sea folk and contemporary sailor songs. They sing shanties a’cappella, and also play Irish, Breton and American folk on acoustic instruments. The only band from Poland to perform at the Sea Music Festival (Mystic Seaport, 2013).

From the beginning of our activity, we have gone a long musical path, from fascination with contemporary sailing songs, through traditional “maritime folk”, including shanties – old seafaring songs of work, to folk music, mainly Celtic (Irish, Breton) and American folk music. We also draw inspiration from the native Silesian folklore and early music, successfully combining today various musical traditions – vocal and instrumental. Our strengths are well-sounding voices, rich, acoustic instruments as well as original songs and arrangements. We can play spontaneously and sing in a mood (in Polish, English and French). Over 20 years, we have developed our own, recognizable style, which we present at concerts in Poland and abroad, and on four of our albums.

Sąsiedzi (“Neighbors” in English) are regularly invited to major festivals, the so-called maritime folk in Poland, Europe and America. We are the only Polish group performed at the:

• “Shanties” in Krakow (Poland)
• “Vegesack Maritime” in Bremen (Germany)
• “Bie Daip” in Appingedam (Netherland)
• “International Shanty Festival” in Langesund (Norway)
• “Chant de Marin” in Paimpol (Bretany/France)
• “International Maritime Music” in Bay City (USA)
• “Sea Music Festival” Mystic Seaport (USA)

We have also visited festivals and clubs in Norway, Czechia, Canada

The name of the band comes from the “U Sąsiada” pub in Gliwice, where we sang a lot during our student days, not only shanties. Our first repertoire was created there, from this small pub we set off to “conquer” the Polish and foreign maritime folk scene. But our first official concert took place in the Gliwice, in pub “Krypta” on October 16, 2001 We consider this date to be the official birth of the band. The name “Neighbors” appeared a week later, when we applied for our first festival competition.

We have won the most important awards of the Polish maritime folk scene, including “Grand Prix Silesian Shanties 2001” “Grand Prix Szanty in Giżycko 2003”, “Grand Prix Szanty in Wrocław 2004” and the most important for all Polish bands – “Grand Prix Shanties 2008” in Krakow. In 2023 we were also awarded in Krakow the Premiere Song Award.

Not the festival laurels, but we appreciate them very much, and the recognition of the public is our greatest success, and this has made us understand many times that they value what we do (Audience Awards: Festival “Kubryk” in Łódź – 2010 and 2017, Festival “Port Piesni Pracy” in Tychy – 2016).

We are also proud to have released our music on vinyl (2020) – first in Poland since 1991, and we recorded the last single (“Here’s A Health” 2021) in the revolutionary new audio technology PONA sound, which is just entering the market. You can find our music also in streaming (Tidal, Apple Music, Deezer, Spotify etc.)
Please visit also our:

• Folk24 profile: Sąsiedzi (The Neighbours)
• Spotify:  Sąsiedzi