Polish Music

[Alan Caffrey]

Hello to all,

what a joy it is to talk to young people her are interested in their ethnic culture rather than modern pop culture; I was talking to a young lady yesterday and oh she was so excited by her soon coming traditional Polish wedding. This is happening down here in Arkansas, deep in the 'Bible Belt', and she a Roman Catholic will be wed to a Baptist - should be interesting! But back at the wedding: they will have The Polka Dots the local Polish band playing at the reception; she says they play mostly polkas and waltzs and was kind enough to show me how to dance a polka: she says Irish dancers dance it differently.

Now is an Irish polka the same as a Polish polka? Do any of the tunes exist in both country's music? Are Polish polka bands playing in the same keys as an Irish band? I would welcome comments on the culture, music and dancing...I'm hoping to wrangle an invite, I'd love to see it!

Thanks, Alan.

[Tom Hall]

For all you will ever need to know about Polish music and polkas, go to this website:

 

http://www.garysred.com/polka.html

 

Gary Sredzienski has been producing "The Polka Party" at WUNH for lo these many years (Polka music is happy music!) In addition, he is the finest accordian player I have ever heard, taste, taste, taste, and consummate skill.

[Helen]

Oh super.

[JimLucas]

Please be aware that what Alan and Tom are talking about is Polish-American culture, and maybe only a small part of that. There's certainly much more to Polish dance than polkas and waltzes... and more to their music than accordions and Chemnitzer concertinas. Imagine having an "Irish" radio program called "Jig Party", run by "The Bodhran Berserker", being considered representative of Irish culture.

 

As for the polka, the turning 1-2-3-hop polka step seems to be fairly universal, but other steps done to the polka rhythm and particular combinations of steps (choreographies?) vary from culture to culture... maybe even from town to town. There's a step that was (is?) known in American international folk dance circles as "the Polish polka", but my Polish friends claim it's not Polish at all. (On the other hand, the "Swedish polka" is known in Sweden, but the Swedes don't call it a polka. It's really closer to a schottische than a polka.)

 

But there are subtle differences in the ways even such common dances as the polka and waltz are danced. Tempo is one, but also whether it's danced with a flat foot or on the ball of the foot, whether the turn is smooth or sudden, whether the music is flowing or "bouncy", etc. And here in Denmark twe have the Polcalypso Orchestra, who combine polkas with a calypso style, a form they say they learned in former Danish colonies of the West Indies. For more than 15 years they've been very popular here, though they haven't really created a trend.

[Ashkettle]

As any good Pittsburgh resident would tell you, all I can say is this. Have a great time; you won't find a better time than a Polish-American wedding. Definately the food will be worth having, and the music will be more than enjoyable.

 

That said, I think for lunch today I'm gonna hit the BBT and get some of the Burgh's best Pierogies....yummy.

[Mark Evans]

Wouldn't know the difference between a Polish, Irish or Tex-Mex polka but I can tell you they all kind of work together if you want to have fun.

 

I endured a season tourning with a small opera company: brutal schedule and bad hotels. One of the few fond memories is of a chance evening on the road between Appleton and Hurley, Wisconsin.

 

The sun was getting low and everyone in the bus was hungery and grumpy in the middle of nowhere farming country. We happened on a supper club with a lot of cars in the parking lot.

 

It was a Polish supper club and the buffet was out of this world, the four piece band was pretty good and the dance floor was filled with people. Those folks were the salt of the earth and very welcoming to this fancy- shmancy bunch of opera singers.

 

I ate quickly and danced like a demon with as many ladies as I could in the hour and half our director allowed us to stay. My Tex-Mex polka skills honed in Houston and San Antonio fit right in. Thank you Alan for prompting this memory.

[Henk van Aalten]

I ate quickly and danced like a demon with as many ladies as I could in the hour and half our director allowed us to stay.

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Mark

This must have been before your chain-saw-experience ??

[Mark Evans]

Yes, and well before I became the well-rounded fellow I am today.

[Alan Caffrey]

Thanks for responses. But, if I started in on, say, "Egan's" or "Salmon tails up the river" do you think they might know an Irish tune what with all the polkas they do play; surely some tunes have crossed between cultures over the years.

 

Alan.

[Helen]

You know, Richard, Pittsburgh isn't all that far from Cleveland. Just how good are those pierogies?

 

Alan, I love Egan's Polka. I just learned Britches Full of Stitches. A very fun piece. I think that it is a polka.

 

Helen

[Ashkettle]

Pittsburgh beats Parma hands down for Polish food Helen. No question. I hear that on the South Side, a superior Pierogi can be had...I need to see that.

 

Of course, Fatheads sells a sandwich that has 2 polish sausage and 3 Pierogies on it....DROOOOOOOL.

[Helen]

Oh well, now I am hungry.

 

Hm, I could eat and listen to tunes. Oh yeah, and play some.

[JimLucas]

...I could eat and listen to tunes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Which tunes do you find the tastiest?

[Helen]

Cockles and Mussels.

[Steven]

What about The Chocolate Rabbit? Yum!

 

Steven