Maanam
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Founder | Marek Jackowski, Milo Kurtis |
| Defunct | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Poland |
| Products | Rock music, albums, singles |
| Website | www |
Maanam—a name meaning respect or dignity in Tamil—was a Polish rock band.
History
The band originated in 1975, founded by Marek Jackowski and Milo Kurtis under the name M-a-M, initially a guitar-focused group. In 1976, guitarist John Porter and Kora (Olga Jackowska), who was Jackowski's spouse, became members. Following Kurtis's departure, the ensemble adopted the name Maanam Elektryczny Prysznic (translated as Maanam Electric Shower). Beginning as an acoustic outfit, they transitioned to electric instrumentation by 1980, eventually releasing some of Poland’s most commercially successful singles and albums over a span of 25 years.
Throughout the early 1980s, Maanam cultivated a vigorous, guitar-centric post-punk style. Kora’s powerful vocal delivery highlighted the adaptability of the Polish language within rock music. Notably, their 1988 track "Sie ściemnia" was the first Polish music video broadcast on international MTV. Their sound during this era drew inspiration from artists such as Nina Hagen, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Blondie.
In the decade that followed, Maanam evolved towards a more melodic yet still engaging musical approach.
By 2007, Marek and Olga (Kora) declared an indefinite hiatus for the band and subsequently collaborated with other musicians.
At one point, guitarist Janusz Iwański was also part of Maanam’s lineup.
Lead vocalist Olga Jackowska passed away from cancer on 28 July 2018 at age 67. Bass player Krzysztof Olesiński died on 18 June 2023 at age 70.
Discography
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POL | |||||||||||||||||||
| Maanam |
|
— | |||||||||||||||||
| O! |
|
— | |||||||||||||||||
| Nocny patrol |
|
— | |||||||||||||||||
| Mental Cut |
|
— | |||||||||||||||||
| Sie ściemnia |
|
— | |||||||||||||||||
| Derwisz i anioł |
|
— | |||||||||||||||||
| Róża |
|
— |
| ||||||||||||||||
| Łóżko |
|
— |
| ||||||||||||||||
| Klucz |
|
— | |||||||||||||||||
| Hotel Nirwana |
|
3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Znaki szczególne |
|
1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Miłość Jest Cudowna (1975-2015) |
|
||||||||||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||||||||