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Nicole Jasik was born in Poznan, Poland
in 1978, before the fall of the Berlin Wall, when that country still lay in
the grip of communism. The stories one hears of people behind the iron
curtain having to line up for hours to scour near-empty shelves are no
exaggeration.
Her mother, Krystyna, chafing under the
communist regime, was an outspoken critic of the government. Inevitably, the
family had to leave the country, escaping in the middle of the night to an
uncertain future, when Nicole was only nine years old.
Reaching Germany, they languished in a
refugee camp for months, where thirty people were crammed into a one-room
dormitory. The family was often hungry, unable to sleep, and isolated by
both the language barrier and the residents' suspicion of foreigners. This
was followed by the relative luxury of a year in a small hotel room that the
Jasiks had to themselves.
Finally, they were given permission to
immigrate to Canada, first moving to London, Ontario, then on to Toronto
where they now live. Nicole and her family have become Canadian citizens,
grateful for its rich tradition of freedom and tolerance.
Nicole is from a musical family. Her
father, Kaz, was an accomplished pianist; his brother played violin in the
symphony. Nicole began learning the piano from her father at the age of
seven, and can’t remember a time when she didn’t sing.
In
high school, she took band and joined school choirs. Later came the serious
study of guitar, piano, and voice. She went to university for a time, but
decided that studying
Psychology was not her true passion - music
was.
Singer/songwriter Nicole Jasik will be releasing a CD of her own songs and invites you to follow what she is doing through this website.
©2003 Nicole Jasik