How did it happen that you became interested in music?
It was always something natural for me. Not because I grew up in a musical family—quite the opposite, as no one in my family was professionally involved in music. And yet from a very young age, I felt that sound interested me. I have always expressed emotions more easily through melodies than through words. I had—and still have—a great sensitivity within me, and it was this sensitivity that led me toward singing. My first recordings were made when I was three years old, and today I see that it wasn’t a coincidence, but my passion. Music became a space where I could fully express myself, organize my feelings, and give them meaning. This path was not always easy—I had to fight for it and make conscious decisions—but from the beginning I knew this was what I wanted and needed to do.
Almost every artist has a breakthrough moment in life that shapes their future.
For me, that was meeting the outstanding actor and teacher Artur Barciś during the National Literary Song Festival “Reflektor” in Koszalin, where I won the first prize. I was fifteen at the time and facing an important choice—I didn’t know whether to continue toward music or focus more on acting. Mr. Artur Barciś approached it with great calm and distance. He told me that life itself would chart the right path and that if something was truly meant for me, it would come back to me. And that’s exactly what happened. Music remained the most important thing for me, but thanks to my acting education, every word I sing carries special meaning. Each song creates a story that I not only perform but, above all, tell—trying to make it reach listeners as authentically as possible.
You received solid education—not only musical.
Yes. As a child, I spent many years attending dance, vocal, and theater classes at the cultural center in my hometown of Tarnobrzeg. When I was fifteen, I was admitted to the Popular Vocal Studio at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, where I studied, among others, with Katarzyna Cerekwicka and Beata Bednarz. After three years, I received a professional diploma as a certified vocalist. Later, I spent a year at the Jan and Halina Machulski Acting School in Warsaw, and then began bachelor’s studies in musical theater and choreography at the Academy of Music in Katowice. After earning my bachelor’s degree, I decided to pursue a master’s in applied linguistics, which I completed at the University of Warsaw.
Your professional path has been a continuous development involving numerous vocal competitions and concerts.
There have truly been many competitions and performances—it’s hard to list them all. From a young age, I traveled to festivals organized all over Poland, so over the years I achieved many awards and distinctions. For example, I was a laureate of the Student Song Festival in Kraków, as well as many other competitions. Awards are one thing, but what gave me the most were the collaborations that followed with the people I met there—because people are what matter the most. One of those exceptional individuals was the late Roman Kołakowski, known in Poland for his wonderful translations of songs by Tom Waits, Bertolt Brecht, and Nick Cave. He later invited me to participate in his musical project. It’s an incredible experience when you’re still in high school and you have contact with people who became a major musical authority for you.
Although you began your musical journey with theater songs, later you turned into pop music.
I’ve always simply been interested in good music—regardless of genre. As a five-year-old child, I adored Shakira, who was extremely popular at the time. My brothers did not allow me to watch her music videos, but you know that forbidden things taste better. At the same time, I grew up listening to Bobby McFerrin, and my taste was—and still is—shaped by many very different artists. Among Polish performers, Aga Zaryan had a huge impact on me. A music store clerk offered me her album Dying Beauty as a gift, and it strongly influenced my musical sensitivity. I became increasingly drawn to jazz and theater songs, and I remained in that world until around the age of twenty-one.
In the second edition of X Factor, I performed a Björk song—the performance itself had a strongly theatrical and quite unconventional character, which was very well received. A few years later, I was also accepted into an international talent show in Spain—Aim2Fame—whose idea was to create a male-female vocal group. Ultimately, a male group was formed, and I was offered a solo contract. It was then that I naturally moved toward pop and mainstream music, and that path continues to this day. At the same time, I deeply value my earlier, more poetic experiences. Thanks to them, I gained great sensitivity to words and narrative, as well as an awareness that music—regardless of its form—can be deep, moving, and true.
Your stage name didn’t appear right away either.
Initially, I performed under my own name, Dagmara Czechura—creating music with a more jazz and poetic character. As I opened up to pop and electronic music, I decided on a new stage name—Dagga. The name derives from my earlier nickname “Daga,” to which I added a second “g,” guided by symmetry and my fondness for odd numbers.
And what is music to you, beyond being something that has accompanied you since childhood?
For me Music is like air—it is a natural part of life. My friends know that I can’t control singing—they get free concerts 24/7. Melodies constantly appear in my head; I record them on a voice memo and later turn them into songs for myself and other artists. I create so many that I would never be able to release them all myself, so I feel honored to collaborate with artists and carry out projects around the world—including American, European, and recently Asian scene. At the same time, I fulfill myself as an educator, conducting vocal classes. Teaching and sharing music gives me enormous satisfaction and is an important element of my artistic path.
Was your appearance on X Factor a breakthrough moment in your career?
Not so much a breakthrough as a completely new experience—mainly because I suddenly found myself on TV. I gained my first recognition, especially in my hometown, and along with it came my first controversies—which, in a way, is a sign of popularity. Today, I approach it very differently. After the show, I began my solo activity, publishing my first singles and music videos online. Since then, I have consistently developed my career not only in Poland, but also in the United States—on the East Coast and in Los Angeles—and in England, where I have a publisher. I also work permanently with labels in the Netherlands and Scandinavia. Since 2021, I have been living in New York, which allows me to fully pursue my international artistic career.
How do you spend your time outside of work and professional activities?
I love meeting new people, and New York is the perfect place for that. Every person I meet—especially artists, is an inspiration to me; everyone has a unique story to tell. I also love discovering places with good food and desserts. The metropolis offers a wide range of flavors, but I always return with sentiment to the ones I grew up with—nothing tastes better than Polish cheesecake or apple pie!
You will once again perform at the Polish-Slavic Center, where you have appeared not only as a vocalist but also as a host of numerous events.
I love being on stage, and performances at the PSC are always special to me. From my very first appearance, the Polish community audience has been excellent—we all share a love for Polish art and culture and appreciate what we have, because there isn’t as much of it here as in Poland. I approach every performance with attention and try to prepare something new each time, to give the audience what matters the most—true entertainment. Events in Greenpoint became a special experience both for me and for the audience.
Interview by Marcin Żurawicz