Jan Pawul

Jan Pawul
Also known asYahu, Yahudeejay
Born
Jan Pawul

(1952-07-05) 5 July 1952
Dzierżoniów, Poland
OccupationsDJ, author
Years active1969–present
External image
image icon Jan "Yahu" Pawul in 1974[link removed]

Jan "Yahu" Pawul (born July 5, 1952) is a Polish discotheque DJ, who worked primarily in the 1970s and the 1980s.

Career

He first became interested in music after he saw the 1964 musical comedy film A Hard Day's Night starring the English rock band the Beatles.[1]

He worked as a DJ mostly throughout the seventies and the eighties,[2] and left the scene in 2011. He was the Honorary Member of both the National Association of Disc Jockeys (NADJ; UK) and the National Association of Discothèque Disc Jockeys (NADD; USA).[3][4][5][6][7][8] In February 1972 his article "Dziadek i ojciec Disc-jockeyów" ("The father and grandfather of Disc Jockeys") was published in the monthly magazine Jazz, as the very first journalistic piece about the DJ scene covered in the Polish press.[9]

He went on to collaborate with Barbra Streisand, George McCrae and the Casablanca Records.[10][11][12] Multiple articles about Pawul's career were published through the years, mostly in the foreign press—among those publications were Disco International and Club News,[13] DeeJay and Radio Monthly,[4] Disco Mirror,[14] The Melting Pot,[6] and the Disc Jockey & Radio Today.[15] He was inducted into the Disco DJ Hall of Fame by Marty Angelo as the first Polish disc jockey.[16]

In 1973 the British magazine DeeJay and Radio Monthly awarded Pawul as the Top Disco DJ of the Year.[17] He was named the Best Polish Disco Deejay of the Year by the Billboard's International Disco Forum for three consecutive years (1976–1978).[18][19][20] The Atlantic Records presented him a gold record to commemorate the sales of more than one million copies of the Chic's single "Dance, Dance, Dance", and the Salsoul Records presented him a platinum record to commemorate the sales of more than 500,000 copies of the "Ten Percent" single by Double Exposure (he helped to widely distribute these songs in the Polish disco clubs).[21][22]

Tony Hadland, a pioneer in a field of disc jockeys, dedicated a chapter to Pawul in his 2018 memoir Double-Life Disc Jockey.[23][24][25][26] Pawul is also the author of several publications about the disc jockey and disco culture, and Hadland notes in his book that "he's written a lot about disco history, probably more than any other person".[27]

Personal life

Details about Pawul’s marital status or other family members are not as widely documented as his professional career. In May 2025, his 45-year-old son, Piotr "Limal" Pawul, died after a prolonged battle with cancer. Pawul expressed his grief publicly, speculating that environmental pollution from their time living near a steel mill in Ruda Śląska may have contributed to Piotr’s illness. To honor his son, Pawul created a digital tribute through a dedicated blog and social media, encouraging others to share memories of Piotr.[28][29]

Accolades

  • 1973: DeeJay and Radio Monthly's award for the Top Disco DJ of the Year[17]
  • 1976: Billboard's International Disco Forum's award for the Best Polish Disco Deejay of the Year[18]
  • 1977: Billboard's International Disco Forum's award for the Best Polish Disco Deejay of the Year[19]
  • 1978: Billboard's International Disco Forum's award for the Best Polish Disco Deejay of the Year[20]
  • A gold record for helping to widely distribute the song "Dance, Dance, Dance" in the Polish clubs (presented by the Atlantic Records)[21]
  • A platinum record for helping to widely distribute the song "Ten Percent" in the Polish clubs (presented by the Salsoul Records)[22]

Publications

  • Modelka profesjonalna: poradnik (1997)[2]
  • Deejays (2016), ISBN 978-83-945523-2-9[30]
  • Discjockey: zdeptane marzenia (2016), ISBN 978-83-945523-0-5[31]
  • Silent Records (2016), ISBN 978-83-945523-1-2[32]
  • Italian Disco History (2018), ISBN 978-83-945523-3-6[33]
  • Yahudeejay: Trampled Dreams (2019), ISBN 978-83-945523-5-0[34]

References

  1. ↑ "Historia disco nad Wisłą, s. 18". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). Agora. March 5, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  2. 1 2 "Były sobie dyskoteki, byli też i prezenterzy (fragmenty wspomnień), s. 86". Gazeta Muzyczna (in Polish). Professional Music Press. April 1998. Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. ↑ "Były sobie dyskoteki, byli też i prezenterzy (fragmenty wspomnień), s. 80". Gazeta Muzyczna (in Polish). Professional Music Press. April 1998. Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  4. 1 2 "NADJ News: NADJ in Poland". DeeJay and Radio Monthly. Morgan Victor Publications, Ltd. August 1975. Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ↑ "Historia disco nad Wisłą, s. 19". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). Agora. March 5, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  6. 1 2 "From Poland with Love". The Melting Pot. June–July 1975. Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  7. ↑ "The Object Of N.A.D.J. Is To Promote Professionalism and Communication Among All Disc Jockeys". Retrieved December 14, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  8. ↑ "National Association of Discotheque Disc Jockeys (N.A.D.D.) – This is to certify that Jan Pawul is a member in good standing". Retrieved December 14, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. ↑ "Dziadek i ojciec Disc-jockeyów". Jazz (in Polish). RSW "Prasa-Książka-Ruch". February 1972. Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. ↑ "Barbra Streisand, Fall, 1975. Dear Yahu (...)". Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  11. ↑ "George McCrae and the Newborn Band, January 26, 1977. Dear Yahu (...)". Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  12. ↑ "Casablanca Record and FilmWorks, Inc., February 28, 1979. Dear Yahu (...)". Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  13. ↑ "Poland's Pawul on the move, p. 35". Disco International and Club News. October 1977. Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  14. ↑ "Jan Pawul – Pole winning jock". Disco Mirror. Spotlight Publications. May 1976. Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  15. ↑ "Polish NADJ Again, p. 10". Disc Jockey & Radio Today – The Official Magazine of the National Association of Disc Jockeys. January 1976. Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  16. ↑ "Disco DJ Hall of Fame". Disco Step-by-Step. MAjr Trading Co., Inc. Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  17. 1 2 "DeeJay and Radio Monthly": Top Disco D.J. 1973 – Yahu Pawul". Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  18. 1 2 "Billboard's International Disco Forum – Presented to Yahu Pawul – Disco Deejay of the Year – Poland 1976". Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  19. 1 2 "Billboard's International Disco Forum – Presented to Yahu Pawul – Disco Deejay of the Year – Poland 1977". Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  20. 1 2 "Billboard's International Disco Forum – Presented to Yahu Pawul – Disco Deejay of the Year – Poland June 1978". Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  21. 1 2 "Atlantic Records: Gold Record – Presented to Yahu Pawul to commemorate the sales of more than one million copies of the Atlantic Records single record 'Dance, Dance, Dance'". Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  22. 1 2 "Salsoul Records: Platinum Record – Presented to Yahu Pawul, Poland's #1 Disco DJ, to commemorate the sales of more than 500,000 copies of the first commercial 12" 45rmp release Salsoul Records 'Ten Percent'". Retrieved December 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  23. ↑ Tony, Hadland (2018). "The Polish DJ, p. 100–101". Double-Life Disc Jockey. FeedaRead. Retrieved December 14, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  24. ↑ Tony, Hadland (2018). "The Polish DJ, p. 102–103". Double-Life Disc Jockey. FeedaRead. Retrieved December 14, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  25. ↑ Tony, Hadland (2018). "The Polish DJ, p. 104–105". Double-Life Disc Jockey. FeedaRead. Retrieved December 14, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  26. ↑ "Tony Hadland wrote about me in his book". Jan Yahu Pawul. Retrieved December 15, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  27. ↑ Tony, Hadland (2018). "Double-Life Disc Jockey". FeedaRead. Retrieved December 14, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  28. ↑ "Jan Pawul's Facebook Post". 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-31.
  29. ↑ "Piotr Limal Pawul Memorial Blog". Retrieved 2025-05-31.
  30. ↑ "Informacja handlowa nt. publikacji: Deejays" (in Polish). Serwis e-ISBN. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Informacja handlowa nt. publikacji: Discjockey – zdeptane marzenia" (in Polish). Serwis e-ISBN. Retrieved December 14, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  32. ↑ "Informacja handlowa nt. publikacji: Silent Records" (in Polish). Serwis e-ISBN. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  33. ↑ "Informacja handlowa nt. publikacji: Italian Disco History" (in Polish). Serwis e-ISBN. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  34. ↑ "Informacja handlowa nt. publikacji: Yahudeejay – Trampled Dreams" (in Polish). Serwis e-ISBN. Retrieved December 14, 2020.

Bibliography

  • Hadland, Tony (2018). Double-Life Disc Jockey. FeedaRead. pp. 100–105. ISBN 978-1788762960.
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