Born in Warsaw in 1949, Umer emerged on the Polish music scene in the late 1960s. Her interpretive style quickly set her apart, earning her several awards at major music festivals, including the renowned Opole Song Festival in southern Poland.
Over the decades, she collaborated with some of Poland's most influential cultural figures, among them poet and lyricist Agnieszka Osiecka, composer Włodzimierz Nahorny and singer-songwriter Wojciech Młynarski.
These partnerships helped shape the landscape of Polish artistic song.
Umer also wrote song lyrics and worked as an actress, journalist, broadcaster, stage director and scriptwriter.
Her acting credits ranged from portraying Rachela, one of the main characters in Stanisław Wyspiański’s The Wedding, at Warsaw’s National Theatre in the late 1960s, to roles in several feature films.
She also directed Krystyna Janda's one-woman show at Warsaw’s Och-Teatr.
Umer wrote lyrics performed by musicians including the late Stanisław Soyka and veteran pop star Maryla Rodowicz.
Her discography included eight albums, the most recent of which, Bezsenna noc (Sleepless Night), was recorded in 2017 with pianist Bogdan Hołownia.
She was a familiar voice on public radio, frequently appearing on Polish Radio 1 and Polish Radio 3, where she spoke about her projects and reflected on her long career.
Her honours included the Knight's Cross of the Polonia Restituta Order and the Gold Gloria Artis Medal for Cultural Merit.
Tributes poured in from across Poland’s cultural community, praising her as "an artist of rare sensitivity" whose work left a "lasting imprint" on generations of listeners.
(ał-mk/gs)
Source: IAR