Lithium Magazine

Facebook.com/basialyjak

September 3rd, 2010

By: Vickie Young

On a rooftop patio in downtown Toronto, I encountered the pleasure of meeting Toronto’s own Basia Lyjak, for an intimate one on one. We shared one hour discussing her journey, passion, and plans for the future. The attribute I observed first was her amazing ice blue eyes, along with a smile which radiates warmth and sincerity.  Immediately I felt a connection as though I had known her for years. It’s simple to discern the earnest authenticity of her personality. There’s absolutely nothing phoney or superficial about this woman, she’s as real as it gets. Basia could very well be the poster for “Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover”. Although she’s petite, when she sings, her vocals are a powerhouse - a shocking combination of raw emotion blended with sultry, edgy, and raspy. It’s impossible to categorize her style into one genre, as her unique and broad range carries her talent from rock, pop, blues, and even country.

Basia has spent 15 years pursuing her dream whilst demonstrating a spirit that can’t be broken. In spite of many forks in the road, challenging her willingness to continue, she forged on with resilience. We’re all familiar with the hardship stories surrounding musicians in an attempt to make it. Basia has experienced many firsthand, including sleeping in cars, crashing on the nearest couch, and rebuttal to construct deals which compromise her true self. She’s as tough as nails, yet somehow not hardened, and surprisingly worldly on the nature of business. A visionary of her craft she is continually in motion, refusing to compromise her creative path. In honour of that commitment, Basia spent the past summer in Calgary in an endeavour to expand her fan base. In true gypsy fashion she packed her bags revved for adventure and completed the extremely bold move in just one week. As she trailed an opportunity she found herself collaborating with several great songwriters including Greg Godovitz and Ron Bechard. Ron travelled to Calgary to meet up with Basia and Greg allowing the trio to jam together and construct the lyrics for the song titled “Sunshine”. Calgary proved to be a wonderful platform to showcase her talents, but it wasn’t long till she was back home working on her new found material.

One of the more prominent pieces that Basia began labouring on is a single called “Waiting”. A beautiful melody written in honour of families waiting for loved ones to return home. Although the original message was geared for families of our troops, it’s relatable on so many levels. It speaks a universal message to those whom have loved ones that travel, and the anguish experienced of awaiting their return. I was fortunate enough to hear a sneak preview of this emotionally charged song - it left me with goose bumps, as it truly showcases her extraordinary vocal range. Although Basia didn’t write this song she voluntarily lent her vocals. In fact, all parties involved in the creative process dedicated their time and efforts by means of a pay it forward attitude. The intention of this single is to share proceeds with the Wounded Warriors Foundation, a gracious display of generosity.

At the end of the day, Basia longed for her hometown and felt the need to follow her creative calling, the calling that spoke to stay planted in Toronto. A decision to stay true to her roots was solidified with a TIMA nomination for Best Rock Alternative, a rewarding reminder of her impact with the fans. Basia is currently working through her catalogue of music amid 140 plus songs with sheer anticipation to share this material. A recent appearance at C’est What highlighted some of Basia and Crash Karma’s guitarist Ron Bechard’s hidden gems.

Basia’s an unstoppable force, gaining much earned notoriety while seeking her place in the industry. I’m positive we’ll be seeing much more of her journey proving how blessed we are to have Canadian talent.