“Beautiful, delicate, addictive. I can’t get this music out of my head” - Marek Niedzwiecki - Radio Smooth Jazz Cafe (Poland) "Simple and unobtrusive backing adds to the beauty of Monika's material, whose performance is emotional and heartfelt. One of the best of its kind I have heard recently, keep up the good work!" Vasja Ivanovski FM Radio 2 (Macedonia) “A lovely album. Fresh and individual. Check it out!” Sarah Ward Jazz FM London Born in Poland, Monika Lidke sang in a choir as a child and later studied classical guitar with Cezary Strokosz. Cezary quickly became a dear friend and they were involved in organising many guitar festivals together. She went to Paris in 1992 to study singing, theatre and dance under the direction of Christian Pages at Ecole Superieure du Spectacle. In Paris she also studied jazz singing with the inspirational Carole Simon, a songwriter who paints beautiful landscapes with sounds and words. Paris was a place where Monika experimented within various artistic collaborations. “No Way!” was the trilingual project with which she composed eclectic tunes and arranged guerrilla gigs on the tube to promote the band. They attracted a devoted audience thanks to the unconventional methods of publicity that they used. A documentary about underground musicians called “On entend rien ici” describes their approach. In 2004 Monika decided to learn more about jazz and chose to relocate to London. She was lucky to meet the exciting performer and jazz educator Anita Wardell, and learnt a lot from her brave, unique and uncompromising style. She felt at home in London and realised that she had a very personal vision for her music. Walks by the river Thames inspired new songs such as “Barnes Bridge” and “Higher self”. An English breakfast witnessed the birth of “Bread on toast”, a song so impatient that it had to be written on the spot, on a “Metro” newspaper next to a plate of fried bacon and eggs! Monika’s debut album “Waking up to Beauty” is a celebration of life. Life’s beauty, its creative mistakes and its incessant movement are all expressed here. The intimate lyrics reflect with gratitude on past experiences, and a good splash of humour spices it all up. The enchanting and dreamy essence of the album is heightened by references to fairy tales and stories such as “The little Prince”, “Beauty and the beast” and “Sleeping beauty”. "Waking up to Beauty" is an intimate and life affirming set of songs in three languages: English, Polish and French. It is about growing and learning: facing the beast to discover the beauty within, having “bread on toast” just to be able to do music, burning and building bridges and always hoping that what comes from the heart will be heard with the heart. The music never stops... “Music is for me one of the wonders of this world and I thank all the people who make this dream a reality”. Monika Lidke Website: www.myspace.com/monikalidke