Czerwone Gitary Concert

Well, when my friends Asia, Gosia and Janet notified me that Czerwone Gitary was playing in Concert at the Polish Cultural Center located in Troy Michigan, just north of Detroit… I rearranged my schedule. I just had to see these guys. I’d seen the Rolling Stones in Concert a couple years ago, and I had a morbid curiosity as to how 60 something year old Polish rockers compared to Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts.

Some background:

In 1965, while The Beatles were setting the world on fire with their hot new Mersey beat sound, Poland's own star group from Gdynia was beginning to burn brightly. Czerwone Gitary,



behind flame-red electric instruments and hearts on sixties-styled sleeves, exuded youth in all its trials, loves and tribulations. They struck a chord with all generations on their way to becoming one of the most popular acts in Polish entertainment.

Despite a hiatus in their fortunes in Poland during the 1980s, they seem far from forgotten on the eve of the 21st century. Since 1991, they have given hundreds of concerts in Poland.

When I was a teenager back in 1965 I was given a choice between a Czerwone Gitary album and a Niebiesko Czarni Album. I tend to take the road less traveled and opted for the Blue-Blacks rather than the Red Guitars. The Black ‘n’ Blue band looked a bit more beat up and rough around the edges on the cover photo. Plus, Adriana Rusowicz who occasionally sang songs with the group, looked pretty psychedelic.

OK, back to the concert. The six-man band had three original members (no, none on walkers) and 3 younger musicians. Many of their classic hits sounded familiar and they sounded nearly the same as they did way back when. The crowd was composed of pre-teens to retirees. The setting was Cabaret style and you could order yourself a beer or vodka while you enjoyed the show.

Although it wasn’t much compared to the elaborate production of Ich Troje’s Concert with their current music I saw a year or two earlier, Czerwone Gitary put on a good presentation of their “oldies” music and the crowd responded enthusiastically.

Cerwone Gitary Official Website