Objects

Dora Kalinówna made her stage debut in 1926 in the Qui Pro Quo Theatre performance in Białystok. She gained the widespread acclaim due to her performances at the vfriety theatre “Morskie Oko” in Warsaw where, in November 1932, during the show Yo-Yo, she sang for the first time Tango Rebeka [Rebeka Tango] the song popular till this day (music: Zygmunt Białostocki; lyrics: Andrzej Włast). The scenography for the premiere performance of the famous tango was “the market square of Kazimierz Dolny” - the town with significant at that time Jewish community. The song was later successfully performed also by: Adam Aston, Tadeusz Faliszewski, Zofia Terné and more recently by Gołda Tencer, Kinga Prejs, Sława Przybylska, Maja Kleszcz, Sonia Bohosiewicz, Marek Dyjak, Karolina Cicha or Kayah. The most famous modern arrangement of the song is that by Ewy Demarczyk, available at: YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrWH-Km2lhc, access 28.08.2020).

After World War II broke out Dora Kalinówna, who was born in Lodz, emigrated to the United States and then to Brazil, where she continued her stage career and participated in the colourful life of the artistic emigration circles. She became friends with Liliana Syrkis, who also emigrated from Poland (Liliana’s note). For many years Liliana run one of the most famous fashion boutiques in Rio de Janeiro. Liliana Syrkis was the one who donate the rich archives of the artist’s life to the POLIN Museum.

The woollen shawl was a keepsake from Poland. Its pattern of colourful flowers (pink with green leaves) is imprinted on ecru fabric with raws of fringes, which is typical for the traditional Polish shawls.

Marta Frączkiewicz