He was, or is, a member of the following bands: Poland (founded in 1979), Novelty Poland (founded in 1981), Kult (founded in 1982), Kazik Na Żywo, El Doopa, Buldog. He also took part in the Yugoton project.
His genre is most accurately described by the term "eclectic" or "crossover", as various instruments, styles, citations, extracts and tributes appear. The music itself contains elements of rock, punk, hip-hop, dub, ska, reggae, traditional folk tunes, ballads, classical music and -more recently- yass, which is a Polish variation of jazz. Most of his solo records are self-produced, made using multiple, both live and synthetic, instruments and various sampling techniques. Kazik himself sings, plays saxophone and guitars, uses drum machines, synthesizers, samplers. He frequently asks various musicians to join his recordings, some of them are regular members of Kult, some are freelancers or session musicians.
Kazik, as a songwriter, uses explicit, often offensive, foul language, he does not avoid provocative, accusative lines and statements. He uses both simple, common vocabulary and complex, sometimes sophisticated and difficult syntax. His dense lyrics (sometimes sung, sometimes rapped) contain a lot of social, religious and political criticism and commentary, but also relate to each other. He is known for his broad sense of humour, his lines are often hilarious, ironic, intertextual, intellectually and culturally involved. Previous works (both his own and his bands') are sometimes sampled or quoted directly. Some of his works are re-arranged, played by KNŻ and Kult. Two of Kazik's albums, "Melodie Kurta Weila i coś ponadto" and "Piosenki Toma Waitsa" are made up of cover songs of Tom Waits and Kurt Weil. These were released under his full name Kazik Staszewski, probably to distinct them from his original material.
Kazik never gives live shows of his solo recordings (except for the two tributes, which were made with a bit more "regular" line-ups, so could be presented on stage). Despite his doubtless popularity in Poland, his recordings don't appear too frequently in media, except for a few single promo tracks. Apart from his musical career he acted in off-movies and used to write columns for a popular Polish newspaper, Gazeta Wyborcza.
Kazik has been releasing his records via S.P.Records label, which is owned by Sławek Pietrzak, his friend, a former member of Kult, a musician that appears occasionally on Kazik’s LPs.
Discography (solo albums only):
1991 Spalam się - probably the first rap album in Poland, although Kazik has been mostly recording rock music since then.
1993 Spalaj się! (double album)
1995 Oddalenie
1997 12 Groszy
2000 Melassa
2001 Melodie Kurta Weila i coś ponadto (as Kazik Staszewski)
2003 Piosenki Toma Waitsa (as Kazik Staszewski)
2004 Czterdziesty Pierwszy (double album)
2005 Los się musi odmienić
Komandor Tarkin
Kazik Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pokrewnej klimatem Krainie Wiecznej Zimy
Na tyle na ile można by określić
Jakieś jego konkretne pochodzenie
Podobno kiedyś działał razem z Boba Fett
Potem ich drogi rozdzieliły się
Jeden zrobił karierę na niwie państwowej
Można było się spodziewać, że to pan, Komandorze
Tarkin to zrobił, hare hare
Można było się spodziewać, że to pana, Komandorze
Tarkin to dzieło
Od kogo dostał to wysokie stanowisko
I czy w ogóle uczciwe jest to wszystko
Polityka to tarzanie się w błocie
I każdy się musi ubrudzić
Tak się toczą losy nie zbadanie
Nie wiesz nim się stanie, co się komu stanie
Tylko tyle i aż tyle nam wiedzieć jest dane
Niekiedy tylko coś więcej powiedziane
Można się było spodziewać, że to pan, Komandorze
Tarkin, hare hare
Można było się spodziewać, że to pana, Komandorze
Tarkin to dzieło
Na wysokim stanowisku czyny są nie te
Możesz zniszczyć nawet całą planetę
I nikt złego słowa nie piśnie
Nawet przed obliczem senatu
Gdzie tedy idą podatników pieniądze
Urzędowa grabież najbardziej jest nęcąca
I kto się dowie, że Jabbowie, ci bandyci
Pod stołem finansują by zostawić ich w spokoju
Można było się spodziewać, że to pan, Komandorze
Tarkin to zrobił, hare hare
Można było się spodziewać, że to pana, Komandorze
Tarkin to dzieło
The song "Komandor Tarkin" by Kazik talks about a high-ranking government official, presumably based on Wilhuff Tarkin, a character from the Star Wars franchise. The lyrics describe Tarkin's origins from a nearby village with a climate similar to the perpetually snow-covered planet of Hoth. It is also mentioned that Tarkin used to work with Boba Fett, a bounty hunter in the Star Wars universe, before their paths diverged.
The song then questions how Tarkin attained his high-ranking position and whether it was achieved through legitimate means. The lyrics also criticize the corrupt nature of politics and the misuse of taxpayers' money. The song suggests that those in positions of power can do great harm, even destroy entire planets, without recourse or accountability. The chorus repeats that Tarkin is responsible for a particular act, and that it is his "work".
Overall, "Komandor Tarkin" is a critical commentary on power, politics, and those who wield it. The song uses the backdrop of Star Wars to tell a story of corruption and abuse of authority that is all too familiar in our world.
Line by Line Meaning
Podobno pochodził z niedalekiej gminy
It is said that he came from a nearby municipality
Pokrewnej klimatem Krainie Wiecznej Zimy
Similar in climate to the Land of Eternal Winter
Na tyle na ile można by określić
To the extent that one could determine
Jakieś jego konkretne pochodzenie
Some concrete origins of his
Podobno kiedyś działał razem z Boba Fett
Supposedly he once worked with Boba Fett
Potem ich drogi rozdzieliły się
Then their paths diverged
Jeden zrobił karierę na niwie państwowej
One made a career in the field of government
Drugi stał się łowcą nagród jedynie
The other became a bounty hunter only
Można było się spodziewać, że to pan, Komandorze
One could have expected it, Commander
Tarkin to zrobił, hare hare
Tarkin did it, hare hare
Od kogo dostał to wysokie stanowisko
From whom did he receive that high position
I czy w ogóle uczciwe jest to wszystko
And is it all even fair
Polityka to tarzanie się w błocie
Politics is rolling around in the mud
I każdy się musi ubrudzić
And everyone has to get dirty
Tak się toczą losy nie zbadanie
Such are the fortunes that cannot be fathomed
Nie wiesz nim się stanie, co się komu stanie
You don't know what will happen until it happens to you
Tylko tyle i aż tyle nam wiedzieć jest dane
Only that much is given to us to know
Niekiedy tylko coś więcej powiedziane
Sometimes only something more is said
Na wysokim stanowisku czyny są nie te
On a high position, deeds are not the right ones
Możesz zniszczyć nawet całą planetę
You can destroy even a whole planet
I nikt złego słowa nie piśnie
And no one will whisper a bad word
Nawet przed obliczem senatu
Even before the face of the Senate
Gdzie tedy idą podatników pieniądze
Where do the taxpayers' money go then
Urzędowa grabież najbardziej jest nęcąca
Official plunder is the most enticing
I kto się dowie, że Jabbowie, ci bandyci
And who will find out that Jabba's, those bandits
Pod stołem finansują by zostawić ich w spokoju
Financed under the table to leave them in peace
Tarkin to dzieło
Tarkin is a work
Contributed by Addison S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@dobieslav
14 lat miałem w 2000, Kazik jesteś jednym z niewielu artystów, których szanuję.
@pnawal
Ten kawałek jest bardziej kanoniczny niż nowa trylogia
@monikapawowska3911
Ha! A jam na kasecie wersje "prawilna";))) Kto kasete pamieta, ten wie o czym mowa!
@michapietka8443
Matko, jakie to dzisiaj niekanoniczne xD
@maksymilianstawiarski6664
xD
@eugienia557
To samo se pomyślałem xD (wiem data)
@DzieXik
Kto mógł przewidzieć, że przyjdzie Disney i zaora wszystko?
@double_lightsaber
Nigdy nie było kanoniczne
@Grafzerovlog
W sumie to co tu jest niekanonicznego?
@mistrzowskimati7579
Tarkin był raczej znany jako wielki moff lub gubernator , ale i tak doceniam :D