Lucyan Wesolowski |
Close encounters with oriental motifs bewilder many Westerners, as those themes do not appear as strange and remote as one would expect. Familiarity and closeness to the Orient are experienced early in childhood, when fairy tale stories about princesses, knights and dragons have similar power of fascination to that of tales from “Thousand and One Nights”.
The reason for that is probably related to a drop of oriental blood that flows in the bloodstream of Europe. The Crusades have infected the continent with the fondness of exoticism and enticed it to refined fabrics, exquisite fragrances and sublime tastes. Today’s inhabitants of Europe are descendants of Indo-European tribes, who have migrated from the steppes of central Asia. Influences of Europe’s main religion could be traced through Buddhism, Judaism and Zoroastrianism back to Hinduism. Some of the most colourful and inspiring terms related to European culture, such as „bohemian” or „gipsy life”, are related to the ethnic group originating from the Indian subcontinent.
No wonder then that experience of Lucyan Wesolowski’s music is an adventure and a treat in more than one respect. His compositions, containing pleasant to the ear blend of Indian and Middle Eastern sounds, elements of meditation and relaxation music and tones drawing from world music, are truly bewitching and refreshing. The talented composer and versatile musician, born in Poland on 24 March 1954 and currently living in Italy, sings and comfortably operates in a broad variety of instruments, such as all kinds of guitars, flutes and drums. Lucyan also plays with natural ease and talent on such exotic instruments as: mandola, bouzouki, saz, panduri, chonguri, oud, tanbur or sitar.
|
He turned his attention to music at fifteen. Since 1983 he has led his Polish-based Orientacja Orient group. In 1994 he founded in Italy The Lucyan Group, which plays traditional oriental compositions and music inspired by Eastern motifs. He also plays with two other bands in Italy: Ethno-Oriental Trio i Fede, Stefano & Lucyan Band. Prolific and tireless artist is also a member of the Shakti Vilas band, which performs traditional, Indian bhajan songs. Lucyan Wesolowski also creates music for theatre and is involved in music therapy, which has earned him honorary membership of the Italian Society of Imaginative Musicotherapy. He also writes lyrics to his compositions and has written articles on spiritual and music related topics published in Italian and Polish printed media.
Lucyan Wesolowski has performed to live audiences at hundreds of concerts, and is popular among lovers of oriental and relaxation music in Italy, Hungary, Poland, USA, Germany and Finland. His discography includes thirteen CDs and audio tapes. The most popular at present is the CD „Relaxing”. Lucyan’s recordings, in which charms of the Orient are the most pronounced, include: „Orientacja Orient 1”, „Orientacja Orient 2”, „Flute Meditations”, „Mantras”, „Prophet” and „Bhajans”. The aura of meditation and contemplation is also present in his songs on the CD „Nieś muzyko słowa mądre”, which also draws on the tradition of ballads and “sung poetry” still alive and well in Lucyan’s country of origin.
|
The fact that the composer’s name does not shout from the headlines, and his music is not promoted by major radio and TV stations has nothing to do with the quality of his music. It is only a reflection of harsh realities. Tendencies on the music mass market are driven by those, who can afford pursuing musical interests. Those are, generally speaking, people between the age of ten and twenty. The rest, busy with the demanding and exhausting business of living, have no time and little spare money for interests outside breadwinning careers and family chores.
It is a pity, because these are the very ones, who would need more than just pop music, which floods the airwaves and clogs up the ears like chewing gum. These are the ones, who beside various musical genres such as jazz, swing, blues, classical and world music, would – if they were only able to stop and “smell the flowers” – cultivate the deeply imbedded in us Orient, the need of contemplation and harmony with the Universe.
Robert Panasiewicz
More information about the composer and his music can be found on his web site: www.lucyan.vola.li
Polish version | 
