For full bio see Czesław Niemen. Niemen is the name of several bands led by Czesław Juliusz Wydrzycki - artist name Niemen (February 16th, 1939 - January 17th, 2004) one of the most prominent Polish musicians of the 20th century. Niemen himself was born in Wasiliszki, polish prewar Grodno district - actually soviet Belarus. Niemen's birthday preceeded the soviet invasion on Poland by exactly 7 months and his artist name is taken from the river flowing through his, since lost and occupied, homeland.