Irena Wanda Jarocka was a Polish singer born on August 18, 1946, in Srebrna Góra, Poland. She began her professional career in the 1960s and appeared at the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole in 1966. In 1968, she gained wider recognition with the song “Gondolierzy znad Wisły”, which received second prize at the Telewizyjna Giełda Piosenki. After studying music in Gdańsk, Jarocka continued her vocal training in Paris between 1969 and 1973, where she also performed at venues including the Petit Conservatoire de la Chanson. Following her return to Poland, she released her debut studio album, W cieniu dobrego drzewa (1974), which included “Motylem jestem” and “Wymyśliłam cię”. Her recordings also included the albums Gondolierzy znad Wisły (1976) and Być narzeczoną twą (1978), as well as the song “Odpływają kawiarenki”. During her career, Jarocka performed in Poland and internationally and appeared alongside artists including Michel Sardou and ABBA. After spending a number of years in the United States, she returned to recording with the album Małe rzeczy (2008). Jarocka died on January 21, 2012, in Warsaw.
