Basia

Basia Trzetrzelewska, known mononymously as Basia, is a Polish singer-songwriter celebrated for her Latin-inspired jazz-pop music, achieving international success with her distinctive vocal style and compositions. After establishing an early career performing with various Polish bands in the 1970s, Basia Trzetrzelewska, known mononymously as Basia, relocated to the UK in 1981, marking a pivotal shift in her musical journey. She soon joined Matthew Bianco, a British jazz-pop trio, which quickly gained European success. The group’s 1984 debut album, Whose Side Are You On?, featured UK Top 40 singles “Get Out of Your Lazy Bed” and “Half a Minute,” with Basia’s distinctive vocals being a key component of their sound.

This critically acclaimed album further solidified her global appeal, selling over two million units worldwide, including one million in the U.S. by 1990, and earning the distinction of Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Album of the year in 1990. Her popular hits from this prolific period include “New Day for You,” “Promises,” “Baby You’re Mine,” and “Cruising for Bruising.” In 1994, her track “Drunk on Love” soared to number one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, the same year her album The Sweetest Illusion received gold certification from the RIAA. Her live album, Basia on Broadway, followed in 1995.

Her most recent work includes a featured vocal performance on ‘Fire & Ice’ by The Clarisse Sisters, released in 2021.