Hailed as “the swinging queen of Polish jazz,” she was born in Altona near Hamburg, the daughter of dancers, a Polish father and a Spanish mother.
She made her debut as a child, performing together with her parents’ duo Los Morenos.
After World War II, Moreno settled in Mysłowice, southern Poland, embarking on a musical career as one of Poland’s first jazz vocalists of the post-war era. She performed with the Melomani, the first self-styled Polish jazz group, founded in 1951.
In 1958, Moreno scooped the top prize at the jazz festival in Budapest. The success styrocketed her to an international career. Her blend of swing and Latino music won her enormous following in many countries.
Having married multiinstrumentalist and bandleader Jan Walasek in 1969, she emigrated to Scandinavia, where they performed together, including on Norwegian America Line luxury cruisers. They happened to be in Poland in 1981 during the imposition of martial law by the communist regime and decided to stay.
Back in Poland, Moreno continued her artistic career. In 2010, a special event to mark the 65th anniversary of her debut was held during the Jazz Jamboree International Festival in Warsaw.
Jazz vocalist Anna Serafińska is Moreno’s granddaughter.
Anna Serafińska and Carmen Moreno performing together in 2016. PAP/Tomasz Waszczuk
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