Zuzanna Irena Grabowksa, also well known as Sanah, is a 26-year-old singer/songwriter from Warsaw, Poland. Sanah is quickly recognized for her single, “Szampan” (Champange), which led her to fame in 2020.
Childhood
Born on September 2nd, 1997, Sanah was raised by her parents in Stare Babice, Poland: her mother Irena Jurczak, a veterinarian, and father Marcin Jurczak, an entrepreneur. In interviews, Sanah speaks highly of her parents, stating that her mother would sing and play the guitar beautifully while her father would be her first loyal fan.
Sanah has played the violin since only 7 years old, while in 5th grade, she began learning to play the piano. At the age of 9, she began to write her own songs, which were outlines of compositions in the forms of simple melodies and words. Around the age of 11, Sanah began to write her first real songs where she’d write ideas in sheet music. This process would take several hours, which was later improvised into using a dictaphone, which she admits to continue to use till this day. Sanah grew up with six siblings, all believed to begin playing instruments only after her. Although she states in interviews that they were more interested in computer science and mathematics, leaving her to be the only one to pursue music.
In the years of 2004-2013, Sanah attended the Complex of State General Music School in Warsaw. She’d then continue her musical education for the next three years at the Secondary Music School also in Warsaw. In June of 2019, she was able to earn a bachelor’s degree in violin at the University of Music. Two years later in 2021, she defended her master’s thesis.
Career
Sanah’s music career began in 2014, where she’d post videos on YouTube under the name Zuzia Jurc
zak. She started to gain recognition in 2019 while signed under Music Polska and Magic Records. During this time, she’d release multiple songs and covers online. Her song “Siebie poznasz bez się bez media support” (You will get to know yourself without media support) would reach the top of the Spotify Viral TOP50 list, along with Vevo joining her for promising young artists.
In January of 2020, Sanah released a music video for her newest song “Szampan” (Champagne), which was an announcement for her debut album and gave her an even larger audience. When speaking of Sanah now, most people quickly recognize her for this single. It was said that her music videos had a unique style that was never seen before among popular creators. In September and October of 2020, Sanah performed at the 57th National Polish Song Festival, then went on to release her single “Bujda” (Lie) along with the song “No Sory” (Sorry), which continued to grow her audience on
YouTube. During this time, she was the most played artist on Spotify in Poland.
On October 31st, Sanah went on a tour entitled “Kolonska i szlugi Tour”, which was followed by the release of her famous album Irenka in 2021. The following year, she was nominated for Empik’s Bestsellers in two categories and won the “Pop Music” category. On April 15th, 2022, Sanah released the album Uczta which obtained the status of a double platinum album. In October of 2022, she continued to release 10 new singles, which were said to be based on poems by Polish poets. A music video was created for each separate song in an old Polish style. Her latest album, “Sanah śpiewa poezjye” (Sanah sings poems), peaked at number one in Poland and was certified diamond by the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry.
Top Songs
“Szampan”
The song “Szampan” (Champagne) was released as Sanah’s first single on Januarary 3, 2020. The single reached number 1 on the Polish Airplay chart and was certified diamond. In English translation, the song explores self-empowerment, resilience, and moving on from emotional pain. The lyrics show a certain determination in the face of critcism. The chorus uses a metaphor where champagne spills out, which symbolizes celebration and the ability to raise a toast despite people trying to bring you down.
“Kolonska i szlugi”
Released in 2021, “Kolońska i szlugi” (Cologne and cigarettes) is one of Sanah’s most famous songs with two versions. The original and “kolońska i szlugi (do snu)” reached over 6 million views on YouTube. The song reflects on nostalgia and longing of a past relationship with the lyrics speaking about the yearning and emotions involved in missing somebody who has already moved on. The song also includes acceptance and realization of the fact that life will continue to move on even without the person you long for.
“Nic dwa razy (W. Szymborska)”
Released in 2022, the song “Nic Dwa Razy (W. Szymborska)” (Nothing two times) was the most popular in the album Sanah śpiewa Poezyje. The song is based on a poem by Wisława Szymborska, which explores the idea of life being an unpredictable experience. Like the title, the song speaks of nothing ever happening twice. Even with the chance of going back to repeat our life, the experiences would never be the same. Which is why every single moment of our life should be appreciated as it happens.
To conclude, Sanah is somebody who still has so much going for her. With her fame only starting in 2019 and her songs continuing to reach Top Hits in Poland, she is still planning on new releases. As of right now, Sanah is setting out tour dates for 2023-2024 and her fans couldn’t be more excited.
