About
ABOUT MARIA KA
Maria Ka ( Maria Kawska ) a lyricist, composer, vocalist, and pianist who creates original music in Yiddish. Combining Yiddish with alternative music, electronic music, punk, and electropop, she brings women’s stories and perspectives into the mainstream historical narrative.
Her works were presented in ARTE TV, SiriusXM, The Times of Israel, פֿאָרווערטס | The Forward, Tablet, Lilith and other renown international sources.
She is a tripple People’s Choice award winner of Bubbe Awards ( Jewish Grammys ) for her original songs ( 2021: Krankheyt + 3rd Place from Jury; 2022: Ven es regnt ; 2023 Ven ikh kuk oyf ).
As a resident of Poland, her songs were present also in various Polish media, such as Radio Nowy Świat, TVP, newonce, TOK FM, Polish Radio, Kapitał & more + international broadcasters, i.e. National Public Radio in Sweden – Sveriges Radio.
Main performances & co – operations of the artist include: Yiddish New York, Open’er, Singer’s Warsaw, Kleztival, Weimarer Filmsommer, FestivALT, Jüdische Woche Leipzig, Jüdische Woche Dresden, Tage der jüdischen Kultur in Chemnitz, Shalom Polin, „Zbliżenia”, Polnisches Institut Berlin, POLIN Museum, The City of Gdańsk, Spaces of Memory Foundation.
In Fall 2023 Maria Ka toured Brazil, with solo performances in São Paulo & Curitiba.
In August 2024 artist’s creations were presented in POLIN Museum as her 1st individual multimedia exhibition „Universum דער אוניווערס” .
As an actress she took part in „Who will write our history ?” – an American – Polish coproduction on Oneg Shabbat group & Ringelblum’s archieve story.
In August – September 2026 her 2nd individual exhibition in POLIN took place: „I Walk Alone, Having Been Boycotted by the World איךך גיי אַליין. די וואָר האָט מיך בויקאָטירט”.
Holding a double master’s degree – in Jewish Studies and Psychology from Jagiellonian University in Cracow – she is additionally a researcher & educator within the field of Jewish culture. Her main interests are focused particularly on Yiddish cinematography, language itself, the role of women in Jewish world and multiple aspects of the Holocaust.
Maria currently lectures at University of Social Sciences and Humanities ( SWPS ) in Sopot.
ARTISTIC & SCHOLAR'S BIO
In 2015 she created dramatized concert „High heels”, presenting the poetry of Polish – Jewish poet Zuzanna Ginczanka. A year later she took part in American – Polish co-produced movie about Ringelblum’s Archieve, entitled „Who will write our history?” (world premiere: 2018).
In 2018 „The music to the lost Yiddish movie” CD was released, which she co-created as a vocalist and musician. The same year – on the occasion of 50th anniversary of March’68 Jewish emigration from Poland – she prepared and performed a premiere concert „Rhythm 19/68” that presented emigrant’s poetry of that period. In 2019 she composed the first original concert entirely in Yiddish, called „Akhsanyes אַכסניות – Hidings”.
In 2020 she released a solo Yiddish album „Di arumike velt די אַרומיקע וועלט – the New Reality”, positively reviewed by major worldwide Jewish sources.
In 2022 her solo multilingual audiovisual album was released – „Di shaykhesn די שײַכותן”, present in world Jewish & Polish media. It’s pieces were written in 3 languages: Polish, Yiddish and English interlaced within songs’ structures. The whole material is inspired by multiple identities.
In 2023 her album „Der Hemshekh דער המשך” premiered ( on April 20th ), recorded with the band and inspired by invisible women’s biographies. 5 songs are original Yiddish pieces written by Maria contemporarily, 5 other are already existing Jewish classics adapted to the woman’s perspective.
On October 27th 2025 her newest – 4th original & 5th in general – material in Yiddish premiered. It is called „Di Mashin די מאַשין” and is inspired by main theme of broadly understood machinery, mechanisms, industry & multilayered systems of rhythmic, steady clatter driven by people’s emotions & relations. The album is entirely original, recorded solo and contains 8 songs written by Maria contemporarily.
Her main artistic interest is changeable and explores topic currently linked with the released material. In 2025 it is the mechinery & industry. Previously her focus was mainly on exploring the area of femininity, embodying it in the public space, retriving and broadening infinite female potiential. She is convinced that it all serves the balance and filling the gap in hitherto patriarchal narrative. Her music works sometimes are entirely original, sometimes consist of author’s Yiddish songs and already existing traditional Jewish pieces adapted to contemporary music means and female perspective.
In Fall 2023 she toured Brazil with solo performances in São Paulo & Curitiba.
In August 2024 the 1st individual multimedia audiovisual exhibition of her albums called „Universum דער אוניווערס” was presented in POLIN Museum in Warsaw. Two years later – between August 13th and September 7th – In August – September 2026 her 2nd individual exhibition in POLIN took place, called: „I Walk Alone, Having Been Boycotted by the World איך גיי אַליין. די וואָר האָט מיך בויקאָטירט”, on cultural boycott of Jewish artists, hate, exclusion & division.
Beyond her audiovisual music projects, she creates interdisciplinary performances accompanying closings of various exhibitions, including the ones in Royal Łazienki Museum and POLIN. The latter is the institution, which Maria often closely co-operates with, co-creating parts of presented displays, i.e. „1945. Not the Beginning, Not the End”, „The Power of Words. On Jewish Languages”.
She is a scholarship holder honoured by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland, the Town of Gdańsk and Pomeranian Voivodship Marshal.
She holds the double master’s degree – in Jewish Studies and Psychology from Jagiellonian University, Kraków (2010, 2011).
Her master’s thesis „The women of <> of Jewish cinematography in Poland. Characters and actresses” received a distinction in 5th Majer Bałaban contest for best doctoral and master’s theses, organized by Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw.
Maria currently has been lecturing on Jewish culture, Yiddish, women in Jewish world and many more at University of Social Sciences and Humanities ( SWPS ) in Sopot.
She has conducted Yiddish culture, language and singing workshops in various cities and places in Poland, including Gdańsk, Lublin, Warsaw, Cracow, Białystok.