Janusz Cedro

Choral music

Janusz Cedro began his career in 1977, when he started performing with the Choir of the Technical University of Wroclaw called "Wroclaw Madrigalists". In 1978 he went abroad for the first time, together with the choir. They took part in the International Festival of polyphonic music in Arezzo (Italy) where "Madrigalists", among 24 choirs from all over Europe, took the 4th place in the competition. Also with "Madrigalists", he took part in many festivals of choral music, recording sessions for Polish Radio and, together with the Choir, he gave many concerts in Poland.

Sung Poetry

In 1977, at the Academy of Physical Education in Wroclaw, he formed a music group performing sung poetry, called "Ponad Nami", where he was the composer of all the songs. Witold Palusiński was a songwriter for the band. He studied Physical Education in Wroclaw, just as the rest of the band: Janusz Cedro (guitar, vocals), Jerzy Mucha (guitar and vocals), Krzysztof Skorupski (percussion, vocals), Tadeusz Hołowiński (percussion and vocals) and Marek Borkowski (bass).

"Ponad nami" have participated in many festivals, e.g. Festival of Tourist Song "Włóczęga" in Zielona Gora or Tourist Song Festival "Sabatar" and ware awarded the first place at the Student Song Festival "Kaktus" at the Warsaw School of Economics in Warsaw in 1980. The band was also the winner of the Student Song Festival qualifications in Wroclaw and, later, also won the Festival itself. Because of this win "Ponad nami" was able to participate in the Finale of Student Song Festival in Cracow in 1981. The band ceased to exist upon the completion of the studies by the band members, in 1981.

Gospel & Negro Spirituals

In 1978 from the initiative of the Rector of Wroclaw University of Physical Education, professor Julian Jonkisz, the Spirituals Singers Band was established at the University, to perform American Negroes spiritual and gospel music at the highest level. Over time, the band's repertoire was expanded to include jazz standards and Polish carols in jazz arrangements.

Janusz Cedro was also a part of the first lineup, as a singer, frontman and manager. Thanks to his fluent English he translated all the lyrics of the gospel standards and taught the band members the correct intonation which was very important, when performing the repertoire chosen by the group (negro spirituals music). This contribution was crucial and influenced the band's later success in Poland and abroad. Between 1978 and 1994 Janusz Cedro led the band as a manager and was a singer, compere and translator. While abroad he also announced each song in English. Together with the band he played about 2,500 concerts in Poland and Western Europe.

Spirituals Singers Band made its debut in November 1978 at the Festival of Poetry and Poetic Songs in Wroclaw. The band participated in all the major jazz festivals in the country, including the Student Jazz Festival "Jazz at the Oder" in Wroclaw between 1979 and 1993, the Student "Fama" Festival in Swinoujscie (1982), Traditional Jazz Competition "Złota Tarka" in Warsaw in 1980, 1981 (winning the J. Balcerak prize), 1982 (winning the Department of Culture of capital city of Warsaw prize), 1983 (honorable mention) and in 1984, International Meeting of Jazz Vocalists in Zamosc in 1983–1984 and the International Jazz Festival "Jazz Jamboree" in Warsaw in 1988. Spirituals Singers Band have also appeared at the Festival of Academic Choirs in Wroclaw and Warsaw in 1983, Negro Spirituals Festival in Czestochowa and Wratislavia Cantans in 1986 and 1991, Christian Artists Festival in Katowice in 1990–1991 and the "Sopot Festival" at the Forest Opera in 1990.

Other important festivals, in which Spirituals Singers Band have participated were: First International Music Festival Gospel in Panevezys (Lithuania, 1989), the Festival International de Choral Nancy (France, 1988), Festival Unsere Zeit in Berlin (Germany, 1992), Nancy Jazz Pulsation Nancy (France, 1989) and the Festival of Jazz Standards in Breda (Netherlands, 1991).

Deserving a mention are the numerous foreign tours done by the band to Germany, Italy, the former USSR (Lithuania), Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands, Lithuania or France. Since 1989, Spirituals Singers Band was cooperating with the Palast Promotion concert agency from Wiesbaden (Germany), which resulted in about 200 concerts played in Germany between 1989 and 1994. It also allowed the band to record a live album "Fare You Well" in 1989, containing the recording of the concert in Wiesbaden. Spirituals Singers Band was awarded Polish Artistic Agency "Pagart's" Waclaw Kisielewski award for the best foreign debut in 1990.

Between 1992 and 1993 the band played as a support for the top American spirituals and gospel band, BeBe & CeCe Winans, taking part in their concert tour. Important concerts of that tour took place at the Congress Hall in Warsaw and Teatr Polski in Wroclaw. The most important moment in "Spirituals Singers Band" career was the First Award by "Jazz Forum" magazine in 1992 in the "best jazz group in Poland" category.

For Janusz Cedro work with "Spirituals," as they were commonly referred to, has also resulted in numerous appearances on Polish television channels, such as TVP1, TVP2 and TVP3 Wroclaw.

In 1994 Janusz Cedro left the band and started his solo career.

Solo projects

In the years 1994–2000 he continued his artistic career creating two music projects. The first of those was "Janusz Cedro – Live in Concert", which was a duet with well known Wroclaw jazz pianist, Marek Markowski. The duo has given many concerts in Poland in clubs and at festivals, e.g. at Traditional Jazz Festival "Golden Washboard" in Iława in 1997 or the Festival of Gospel Music "Camp Meeting" in Osiek (in 1997 and 1998). They have also produced two television programs: "Janusz Cedro Live in Concert" for TVP Wrocław, and "Carols, carols" for TV Katowice.

The second of the projects was the "Janusz Cedro and THE BAND", where Janusz Cedro was accompanied by the following quartet: Marek Markowski (piano), Tomasz Grabowy (bass), Darek Kaliszuk (drums) and Adam Went (saxophone). The band took part in many festiwals, e.g. the Festival of Gospel Music "Camp Meeting" in Osiek in 1998, the Festival "Gaude Fest" (in 1997 at Spodek, Katowice and in 1998 in the amphitheater in Wisla).

Worth a mention are also Janusz Cedro's performances of [Spiritual (music)|negro spirituals and gospel] music in the United States, where his concert in 1995 with pianist Susan Grey at the jazz festival "Jazz in the Park" in Charlotte (USA) proved to be an artistic success. In November 2000, he played a farewell concert as a vocalist with "Janusz Cedro and The Band" in the famous Wroclaw's Jazz Club "Rura"

The director and music producer

Since 2000, Janusz Cedro works in the music industry as a producer. For the special events and undertakes not only a role of the producer, but also a host and director. In the years 2000–2013 he produced over 400 different events in Poland and abroad. Some of those events are listed below:

He was also an organizer and co-organizer of various events, such as:

Discography with Spirituals Singers Band:

1. Spirituals Singers Band (1984), LP Polskie Nagrania XL 69300489
2. Fare you Well – Live (1989), LP, MCS Weltklang prod. Sat. No. 84500189
3. Kolędy z różnych stron świata (1991), MCS Jedność 029
4. Spiritual Singers Band – Live, KOCH CD 338512 MCS 338514

Private life

Married in 1995 to Dorota Cedro. Has four kids: Dominik, Marceli, Maksymilian and Adam.