Why Polish singers are not popular abroad?

You've probably heard about Inna and Alexandra Stan. Considering Poland is wealthier than Romania why aren't there any Polish-based singers to make it big internationally? Do they generally avoid singing in English? Or the locally-popular genres are not so marketable outside of Poland? Also do Polish singers go to concerts in places with many Poles like Germany and the UK?

No, I haven`t. Should I? :)

As for why there aren`t any Polish-based singers to make it big internationally, do you mean pop or opera or jazz or whatever? The question might be asked about other countries. E.g., Germany. I know a lot of German bands, especially heavy metal groups, but I can`t recall any famous German singer.

PS. I said jazz. There is Basia Trzetrzelewska who was quite known in pop jazz music circles in the USA when I stayed there.

Is that true?

While I can't recall their names at present, I must have seen countless Polish pop female vocalists advertised in our local Nowy Dziennik:-)

I'm speaking only of the contemporary, not the classical or even folk, genre.

Yeas but most except Basia (and Pat Benatar who was born in the USA) are relatively unknown outside of Polonia. As for Germany in the 80s Sandra and CC Catch crossovered to popularity outside of Germany (mostly in Eastern Europe but still outside of their home countries). Same with the Italian singer Sabrina.

But you didn`t say we can also consider such old stars, I thought you meant contemporary ones. If so, there were many Polish singers who gained international popularity in communist times. E.g., how about Czesław Niemen ? He had a lot of gigs in the Eastern block. Do you remember him?

The only ultra-popular female German pop singer with whom I'm familiar is Nina Hagen, but that was in the late '80's on into the mid-90's and so likely she's more of a grandmother to the current generation:-)

hmm ...what do you mean internationally? Define it? Think it over will you?

For a couple of decades the international market has been dominated by the American pop and it entertainment industry, if you wanted to make it big you had to make it big in the USA. That trend is changing, maybe not so much in Europe but elsewhere.

I find you question to belong the same category (weird and useless) as why there is no Polish actors in the Hollywood. Poland ain't America dude, duh!

A More serious answer so called language barrier.


By the way. Never heard about them. You should reconsider your approach as you basic assumptions are false.

Well if a gipsy land like Romania can sometimes strike it big (the Numa Numa song became a meme abroad) so can Poland. Romanians have infiltrated the dance pop charts for years. I guess Romanians are more ruthlessly marketing their pop and dance songs or something.

My question is why isn't Bulgarian music better? It has one of the great folk music traditions in Europe (great vocalism and melodies and extremely complex rhythms) but hasn't ever been able to translate that into memorable pop performers (If I'm wrong please let me know)

Most of the Bulgarian songs I like are more like joke songs (trima v kombina, A4) or covers of Greek/Turkish songs - the best chalga was a lot worse than the best manele and in terms of more mainstream stuff.... forget it

What's up with Bulgrian music? I want to like it but.... meh

Vatican. Too much control of Vatican. Too much spins. Vatican eliminate vitality, passion for life and spirits.

To be clear, I here don`t speak about Catholic Church but particularly about Vatican`s influence.

Do you mean Vatican exerts harmful influence on Bulgarian music?

Its complicated with Bulgarians. Everybody f*** them mentally and they likes to be receivers. The Pope, the Patriarch of Constantinople, Germany, Britain, France. Russians also penetrate sometimes. Now, would you sing nicely after such an orgies.