Getting to Know Marcin the Artist and the Song “Layla”
For most of his young life, Marcin Patrzałek has had a guitar by his side. Aged 10 years old, when most young guitarists are plucking their way through “Mary Had a Little Lamb” or something like that, Marcin was studying classical styles under his teacher Jerzy Pikor, followed by a crash course in the flamenco technique from Carlos Pinana. By the time he was 13, he was developing his own percussive fingerstyle playing style. Something big was right around the corner.
In 2015, Marcin entered the “Must Be the Music” talent show in his native Poland — and won. The music Marcin plays might not be your typical mainstream fare, but the innovative and magnetic way he explores his fretboard obviously left a big impression on audiences around the country.
Winning the “Must Be the Music” competition was something of a springboard for Marcin’s career. By now something approaching a household name, he began experimenting with what would become his debut album in 2016. Working with a computer and with music production software, Marcin created tracks that took his spellbinding guitar playing in new and exciting directions.
With six of his own compositions, two arranged pieces, and two remixes, Hush became Marcin’s debut album when he was just 16 years old. Its independent release garnered limited attention in Poland, but those who did get to hear the album could not fail to be astounded by its brilliance.
Going from Strength to Strength
Over the next couple of years, the projects that Marcin took on really showcased his versatility and the breadth of his vision. First was “Toxicity,” the System of a Down banger known for its mind-bending rhythms and stop-start time signatures. This achieved tens of millions of views on social media and brought Poland’s young guitar talent a legion of new fans.
Next was the “Tu Si Que Vales” competition in Italy, in which Marcin played his own arrangement of Beethoven’s “5th Symphony.” A world away from the punishing nu metal of System of a Down, Beethoven’s “5th” gave Marcin a chance to show just what he was capable of. Following this up with a cover of Queen’s “Innuendo” and his own composition “Asturias,” Marcin won the competition.
Sponsorship and endorsement deals with Ibanez, Fishman, and Elixir Strings followed, as the young guitar sensation took the world by storm. He would release revAMP in 2018, a compilation EP, which brought together some of his best-received songs to date. He would also release a new single — “Baba Yaga.”
Marcin was really flying by now. In 2019, he reached the semi-finals of “America’s Got Talent” and landed a contract with the big-time record label Sony Masterworks. The first two major label singles did exceptionally well, and international tours saw the young maestro playing to audiences all over the world. Until Covid hit.
As the pandemic forced the world into lockdown, Marcin brought light to the lives of many fans on social media with his music. Now, with those dark days behind us, we can look forward to the next phase of Marcin’s career. His major label debut album is fast approaching, and his music is hitting new heights after a well-received series of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, and a stunning collaboration with Japan’s Ichika Nito that was released on YouTube.
The History of “Layla”
“Layla” brings together two love stories of love and desire — one modern, one ancient — and weaves them into one of the 20th century’s best-loved rock songs. Written by Eric Clapton in 1971, the track draws inspiration from the 7th-century Arabic poem “Layla and Majnun,” in which Qays ibn al-Mullawah and Layla al-Aamiriya embark on a doomed love affair. But Clapton was also inspired by his own unrequited feelings for the British model Patty Boyd, who married Eric Clapton’s friend George Harrison in 1966.
Harrison and Boyd would eventually divorce in 1977, and Clapton was to marry his own Layla in 1977.
In some senses, this is a surprise choice for Marcin. But then again, almost every song he has tackled has been a surprise, from “Toxicity” to Beethoven’s “5th” to “Innuendo.” Maybe we should view it another way. This is a young man at the height of his powers, and there isn’t a song on the planet that he can’t add his own unique interpretation to. The complexity and depth of this song is perfect for a man of Marcin’s talents, and the way he makes it his own is incredible.
You’ll need to wait a bit longer to hear Marcin’s major label debut album, but his version of “Layla” is already available to stream.
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