'Mein Yidishe Momme' - Hanna SKARŻANKA

Hanka Ordonówna escaped from Warsaw, being under German occupation, in 1940 and found a shelter at home in Vilnius, being... under Soviet occupation at that time. There was a theatre which with "opened arms" welcomed the famous soloist. They obviously played only what Russian censorship allowed them to play. In the group of artists, Ordonówna met a young woman of a striking beauty, who was beginning to act and sing publicly. They liked each other and the older one handed over her two great songs to the younger: "Mein Idishe Momme" and "Callecita de mi barrio"; her greatest hits. Hanna Skarżanka (1917-1992), that was the name of the young actress, listened to her lady-tutor attentively and accepted advices how to treat the musical material and how to interpret the words. Skarżanka kept 'Mein Idishe Momme' as a main point of her recitals all her life through.

Outstanding interpretation of the great song about the mother's love to the child who tragically got lost.


Photos by courtesy of Katarzyna Skarżanka, granddaughter of the artist, also an actress and a singer.