Wojciech Cejrowski – a television personality, popular radio journalist, cabaret artist (he himself claims ''I am a comedian''), writer and publicist, satirist of bureaucracy and socialism, photographer and a professional carpenter. But most of all, a traveller, who is greatest passion and goal is to seek out the endangered cultures of the Amazon region.
Cejrowski was born on the 27th, June 1964 in Elbląg. He finished XVII High School by the name of A.F. Modrzejewski in Warsaw, where he attended the same class as Grzegorz Przemyk. Before his spoken Matura exam and right after his written exams he was brutally manhandled at one of Warsaw's police stations and had all of his fingers broken for fighting back during the pacification of his school and taking part in protests against the death of Przemyk.
He studied at several universities: Public School of Theatrical Studies in Warsaw, Catholic University in Lublin (history of art), University of Warsaw (sociologyand archeology and Santa Clara University in California, USA.
He can fluently speak 3 languages: Polish, Spanish (latino) and American English. He can also communicate in Russian and Portuguese.
Cejrowski is known for his radio career during which he has hosted his own programs and worked alongside of well-known people like Wojciech Mann and Krzysztof Materna, his writing publications (mainly political satire and traveller books) and television career. He took part in many programs. His TV career started with the program Non Stop Color, during which he once again had the opportunity and pleasure to work with Wojciech Mann. At the same time he was also coducting WC Quarter, which is probably his most widely known television programme.
During the years 1996-1997 he also recorded a series of programmes about his travels to South America.
His latest programme, ''Among People with a Camera'' (2003-2004) had the fourth biggest group of viewers in Poland – over 2,5 million people.
Undeniably though, his greatest achievements are his worldwide travels.
Wojciech Cejrowski has been organizing voyages to the wildest corners of our planet for 20 years. He has travelled so far to 40 different countries, located on 6 continents. He owns a house in Mexico City, in which he lives from time to time since the 1980s, as well a large residence in the Republic of Ecuador.
His favourite and most often visited place is tha Amazon region (Amazonia), where he always goes with a specific purpose - to document the life of it's residents – the Indians and the Métis people.
He has taken part in, inter alia, a pedestrian march through the undeveloped swampland and forest of Darién Gap, separating Panama's Darién Province in Central America from Colombia in South America, as well as the crossing of the Camel Trophy trail in Guyana in 1996, within which he managed to reach the isolated colonies of the Wai Wai tribe.
He has paddled in Indian canoes through the waters of the virgin jungle. Deprived of contact with civilization for weeks, he has lived among Indians and acted as one of them: he built sheds, hunted, ate what they did or starved with them. He did all these things to gain and save the knowledge of cultures still living in the Stone Age.
I really enjoy his television programmes especially 'Boso przez świat' and his radio broadcasts in Radio Station Three.
ReplyDeleteIf we discuss about polish travelers, we should not forget to mension 'Tony' Halik, famus Polish traveller and explorer. 'Tony' was working as a correspondent for NBC for over thirty years. In 1976 he reached the legendary Inca capital Vilcabamba. For over twenty years, Halik and his wife Elżbieta Dzikowska hosted TV shows and series for TVP including "Tam gdzie pieprz rośnie", "Tam gdzie rośnie wanilia" and "Pieprz i wanilia".
I must say that I also like watching "Boso przez świat" a lot. The only problem is the fact that it’s hard for me to catch it on the tv. Maybe I should consider buying the dvds.
ReplyDeletei read on of his books "Gringo Wśród Dzikich
ReplyDeletePlemion" and saw a few TV shows.
kinda interesting, but still this guy is quite weird imo. he is a declared catholic (i would even say that he is a devotee, he called himself "radykalny katol") and his political and religious beliefs are quite controversial.
I had the opportunity to watch "Boso przez swiat" few times on TV, all I can remember is Cejrowski goin into the sheesha bar and saying something like "smoking is bad for you"
ReplyDeleteRafał: I've found many "Boso przez swiat" episodes on my "VOD" (even on DVD9 :p) but didn't have time to watch it all..
I can't stand Cejrowski. His arrogance, old-fashioned thought and disrespect is not acceptable.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I have never seen any of Cejrowski’s show but I admire his passion for travelling and exploring foreign countries and its cultures.
ReplyDeleteI love Cejrowski travel tv shows(Boso przez swiat). They are great. But any others tv show by Cejrowski are not so interesting.
ReplyDeleteCejrowski is definitely a person with a great passion. Some of his shows and interesting and others are a bit less. However like most you said he's a bit of a weirdo, and it's easy to not like or even hate him.
ReplyDeleteI heard his books are very interesting. Has any of you read one?
Hi,
ReplyDeletePersonaly I did not watch any of it, its first time I've heared about it. The only thing that I watch is his conversation with Agnieszka Frykowska :)
He is a very controversial persona. Personally I often get annoyed when I listen to some of his comments. It’s a fact, that he is an interesting guy and that it is not difficult not to like him.
ReplyDeleteOnce in a while I have a chance to watch some of Cejrowski's TV shows, even if its only a glimpse of a show on-line. I admire his deep knowledge and experience concerning Latin American Indians, their lives and cultures. He is doing a great job writing books and making TV shows. Another popular and successful Polish journalist is Max Kolonko who, in a equally interesting way, writes about the United States. I read one of his books recently. It was called "Discovering America. Writings from the Jeep"(Odkrywanie Ameryki. Zapiski w jeepie).
ReplyDeleteI recommend this book for everyone to read.