Hanka Ordonówna

Who was Hanka Ordonówna?

Hanka Ordonówna also known as 'Ordonka', was a Polish singer, dancer and actress. She began her career at the age of 16 in the Warsaw cabaret Sfinks and then the theater Wesoły Ul in Lublin under the stage name "Anna Ordon." singing hits still popular today: O mój rozmarynie, Rozkwitały pęki białych róż, and Ułani, ułani.

When this cabaret closed, Hanka Ordonówna moved to Warsaw and worked at the cabaret Miraż, where she was noticed by Fryderyk Jarosy, director of the famous Warsaw cabaret Qui Pro Quo; it was under his guidance that she became a star, recording the famous Miłość ci wszystko wybaczy in the 1933 movie Szpieg w masce. Another hit was Marian Hemar's Jakieś małe nic, 1934.

In 1931, she married Count Michał Tyszkiewicz, who wrote many of her songs. Though a countess, she continued to perform in cabaret and even ride a horse in a circus revue. She developed lung disease which plagued her for the rest of her life. She died in 1950 in Beirut.