Between 1999 and 2005, he attended Queen Jadwiga's Primary School in Raba Wyżna, and between 2005 and 2008, he studied at Saint John Paul II's Junior High School No. 1, also in Raba Wyżna. From 1999 to 2007, he was a student at Fryderyk Chopin's State Music School of the First and Second Degree in Nowy Targ. He also attended Eugeniusz Romer's First High School and Holy Family's High School in Rabka-Zdrój. He then studied at the Krakow School of Jazz and Popular Music in the violin class, under the supervision of Dominik Bieńczycki. In 2019, he completed his education, obtaining a bachelor's and master's degree in the fields of: film and television production, and journalism and social communication with a specialization in media production.
Career
In 2018, Damian Pałasz performed at the Amfiteatr Tysiąclecia during the 55th National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, along with the band InoRos. During that event, the group performed the songs "Czyste szaleństwo" and "Dawaj, Polska", with which the members later participated in the "Hit na Mundial" competition. They took second place, just behind the band Kombi.[1]
Damian Pałasz serves as the musical director, manager, and conductor of the Mała Armia Janosika band, which is considered the largest highlander band in Poland.[2] The group consists of two hundred and sixty members artists, mainly comprising youth and children from southern Poland. Damian Pałasz has produced music videos for Mała Armia Janosika, including "Siła jest w jedności", "Modlę się o miłość", "Białe róże", "Dni, których nie znamy", "Barka", "Nie zastąpi Ciebie nikt", and "Walczymy do końca", and has also released musical albums: Jan Paweł II – Przyjaciel Podhalańskiej Ziemi (2021)[3] and Kolędy i Pastorałki na góralską nutę (2018).[4] He composed the music and wrote the lyrics for the song "Walczymy do końca", which was recorded in order to support the Polish national team during football events.[5]
In February 2018, he was awarded in the plebiscite held by Gazeta Krakowska as the "Personality of the Year 2017".[6] He secured the first place in the county stage, and the second place in the provincial stage.[6] In March 2019, in a competition organized by Dziennik Polski and Gazeta Krakowska, he was named the "Personality of the Year 2018" in the culture category, taking the first place in the Nowy Targ County and the second place in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. He was nominated for his contribution to regional culture.[7]
In the autumn of 2018, Damian Pałasz and members of the Mała Armia Janosika band were awarded during the fourteenth edition of the FilmAT Festival in Warsaw. The group, led by its conductor, was honored for the best documentary film in the history and heritage category, as well as for the "patriotic values" of the music video — both awards were given to "Białe róże", of which Pałasz was the director and producer.[8]
Pałasz and Mała Armia Janosika were then invited to participate in the "Concert for the Independence" (Polish: "Koncert dla Niepodległej"), which took place on November 10, 2018, at the National Stadium in Warsaw. The concert was broadcast by all Polish television stations, and the band performed on stage alongside artists such as Maryla Rodowicz and Kamil Bednarek. The performance of Mała Armia Janosika was watched by 40,000 spectators at the stadium and by 7 million viewers gathered in front of their televisions.[9]
On October 18, 2020, Pałasz performed with Mała Armia Janosika during the concert "Wadowice, Where Everything Began", organized by the Polish Television. The band performed the songs "Czarna Madonna" and "Barka" together with Anna Jurksztowicz and Mateusz Ziółko, and then sang the song "Do Wadowic wróć" with the duo Golec uOrkiestra. The concert was broadcast on TVP1.[10]
In December 2022, Damian Pałasz and the members of Mała Armia Janosika participated in the concert "Zajaśniała gwiozdecka nad Tatrami", which was broadcast on Christmas Eve by Polsat. Pałasz served as the musical director for this event.[11]
At the end of February 2023, Pałasz and Mała Armia Janosika performed at the "Stay Together – Nie bądź obojętny" concert, organized to mark the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The band appeared on stage both at the beginning and the end of the event, which also featured Kayah, Grzegorz Hyży, and Kasia Kowalska.[12] On April 2, the group performed at the concert titled "Nie zastąpi Ciebie nikt", organized to commemorate the 18th anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II. The concert was broadcast by TVP1 and Polskie Radio Program I.[13]
On July 2, 2023, Pałasz and Mała Armia Janosika performed during the Closing Ceremony of the European Games Kraków–Małopolska 2023. The band played the song "Tak smakuje życie" from Enej's repertoire and the piece "Janosik" accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra.[14] In Summer of 2023, the band embarked on a concert tour which was broadcast by TVP1 and TV Trwam.[15] On September 9, 2023, Pałasz and the group participated in the concert titled "There Is No Greater Love", organized to commemorate the beatification of the Ulma family. The concert was broadcast on Polish Television and also featured performances by Justyna Steczkowska, Marek Piekarczyk and Pectus.[16]
In November 2023, Damian Pałasz produced a Christmas album titled Zaświeciła Gwiozdecka nad Górami, which was recorded by Mała Armia Janosika. The album features Highland pastorals and traditional carols embellished with the poetry of the Rabian poet Danuta-Truta Pałasz.[17]
On December 12, 2023, during the ceremonial awarding of the Soli Crystals awards at the Krakow Philharmonic, Pałasz and the Mała Armia Janosika Association received two prestigious distinctions from the Małopolska Voivodeship Marshal's Office. The first was the award for the best non-governmental organization in the Małopolska Voivodeship – the "Leader of Non-Governmental Organizations in Małopolska" (in recognition of contributions to the artistic development of the young generation and shaping in young people a civic, social, and patriotic attitude). The second award was presented by the Marshal of the Małopolska Voivodeship in the category of culture and regional identity (for the educational development of the young generation in the spirit of respect for the cultural heritage of the Podhale region and national values, as well as for the promotion of Małopolska during national and international events).[18]
On December 17, 2023, Pałasz and Mała Armia Janosika performed a grand Christmas concert in Ruda Śląska-Kochłowice to inaugurate the 2023/2024 caroling season. On December 24, 2023, the "IX Góralska Pasterka" (English: Highland Christmas Eve) took place in Skawa — the event was organized by Damian Pałasz. Also on December 24, 2023, the concert "Wielkie Kolędowanie z Polsatem na Podhalu" aired on Polsat, featuring Pałasz and Mała Armia Janosika. The performance was rebroadcast during Christmas on Polsat 2 and Super Polsat channels.[19] On January 6, 2024, Damian Pałasz's band performed a grand Christmas concert at the Basilica Co-Cathedral in Stalowa Wola. The concert was broadcast on TV Trwam.[20]
On April 27, 2024, Mała Armia Janosika, under the direction of Damian Pałasz, played a concert in Ryki to inaugurate the Summer season. On May 3, 2024, a television special titled The Great Highlander May Festival in Rabka-Zdrój premiered on TV Trwam. It was directed, produced, and musically supervised by Pałasz.[21] On May 7, 2024, Mała Armia Janosika set off for Italy, embarking on the longest concert tour in their career. As part of the tour, the group performed on May 8 during a general audience in the Vatican, playing under Damian Pałasz's direction for Pope Francis.[22] On May 10, the band participated in a Holy Mass at the tomb of Saint John Paul II. On May 11, Mała Armia Janosika, under Pałasz's direction, gave a grand thanksgiving concert at the Divino Amore Sanctuary during the Second Roman Polonia Days.[23] On May 12, the band performed at Monte Cassino, paying tribute to the murdered Poles.[24] Damian Pałasz served as the artistic and musical director of the performances during the tour in Italy.[25]
On June 8, 2024, the Mała Armia Janosika Association, led by Damian Pałasz, organized an event called "The 5th Largest Highland May Picnic in Poland", in Rabka-Zdrój, to commemorate the 104th birthday of Pope John Paul II.[26] In June 2024, the band performed concerts in Brzeszcze and Libiąż, and for the third time performed outside of Poland, this time in Bystřice in the Czech Republic.[27] On July 7, 2024, Pałasz's band appeared on stage during a televised concert in Uniejów, as part of the Earth Festival 2024. The group presented the song "Tak smakuje życie" from Enej's repertoire, and performed a song called "Moja Planeta" in a duet with Majka Jeżowska. The concert was broadcast live on Polsat. Other artists included Maryla Rodowicz, Alicja Majewska, and Kamil Bednarek, among others.[28] On July 13, 2024, Pałasz and Mała Armia Janosika performed during a concert in Limanowa, which gathered thousands of spectators in front of the stage.[29]
Alongside the Mała Armia Janosika band, Damian Pałasz performed during the ceremonial events broadcast by the largest television stations in Poland. Among those are:
Koncert dla Niepodległej (English: Concert for Independence; 2018, TVP1, TVP2, TVP Polonia, Polsat, TVN);
Góralska Pasterka w Rabie Wyżnej (2019 TVP Info, TVP3);
"Wadowice, tu wszystko się zaczęło" (2020, TVP1);
Solidarni z Białorusią (2021, TVP Polonia);
Kolędowanie z Małą Armią Janosika (2022, TV Trwam);
"Zajaśniała gwiozdecka nad Tatrami" (2022, Polsat);
Orszak Trzech Króli w Łodzi (2023, TVP3);
"Stay Together – Nie bądź obojętny" (2023, Polsat);
"Nie zastąpi Ciebie nikt" (2023, TVP1);
"103. Rocznica Urodzin Ojca Świętego Jana Pawła II" (2023, TV Republika);
"O niebo lepiej" (2023, TVP1, TVP Polonia);
Ceremonia Zamknięcia Letnich Igrzysk Europejskich Kraków–Małopolska 2023 (English: The Closing Ceremony of the European Games Kraków-Małopolska; 2023, TVP1);
15. Dziękczynienie w Rodzinie (2023, TV Trwam);
"Pośród wielu dróg" (2023, TVP1);
"Nie ma większej miłości" (2023, TVP);
"Wielkie kolędowanie z Polsatem na Podhalu" (2023, Polsat, Super Polsat, Polsat 2);
"Koncert kolęd i pastorałek w Stalowej Woli" (2024, TV Trwam);
"The Great Highlander May Festival in Rabka-Zdrój" (2024, TV Trwam);[30]
2024: Silver Medal of Pope John Paul II for services to the Archdiocese of Kraków, awarded to Damian Pałasz (for promoting the memory of Saint John Paul II, and for advocating religious, patriotic, and family values through his artistic activities)[31]
Discography
Studio albums
2021: Jan Paweł II – Przyjaciel Podhalańskiej Ziemi[3]
