True WI style polka music

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polkanut

polkanut

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
6,285
Location
Wausau, WI
Most everyone thinks that the only polka songs out there are the Beer Barrel Polka, and the Too Fat Polka. Well the clip I've linked will show what true WI-style Bohemian/Czech polka music should and does sound like. This clip was filmed 4/24/2010 @ Laack's Ballroom, Johnsonville, WI. The occasion was a memorial 100th b-day dance for Romy Gosz, one of the most famous WI polka bandleaders from 1930-1966. His band had a very strong brass, and reed section. The song they're playing is called "Circling Pigeons Laendler", a type of waltz. In a contest in 1946, Romy Gosz beat Harry James to see who could hold a note on the trumpet the longest. Romy died in 1966 from complications due to gall bladder surgery.
BTW, the bald headed trumpet player is 84yo, and performs with his own 7 piece orchestra on a weekly basis.[this post was last edited: 6/2/2010-13:01]

 
Here is another clip from the same day (4/24/10) featuring 84yo Elmer Hayes of Stratford, WI, wailing away on lead trumpet, playing the "Barbara Polka".

 
Oh NO!! I've Got Happy Feet!

Remember when Steve Martin got "happy Feet" and he'd tear around the stage trying to stay on top of his feet? I love to dance. I used to say I'd rather dance than have sex. You get a partner! I was washing dishes in a restaurant during high school and the waitresses would sneak me into the Safari Room, the local dance hall and watering hole. I learned the Polka and the Jitterbug and I'm hard pressed to pick a favorite. Dancing the Polka is fun when you're spinning so fast you know that if you loose your grip on your partner you'll make a new door in the side of the dance hall. Thank you for the grand old oompa!
 
When I was growing up in Chicago as a kid my family would be invited to several Polish and Czech weddings. Most of these people were our neighbors. They played a lot of this kind of music. You could tell the adults had a lot of fun on the dance floor. Especially after a few drinks and the band played a fast polka.

Sometimes I wonder if playing Polka music will become a lost art here in the U.S. and most of the people in the bands are quite old?
 
Cannot Speak For The USA

But polka is not "old" in much of the old country (Germany, Poland, etc).

Once one passes into PA from New Jersey, polka gets really active, with several yearly festivals and such in PA alone. Was watching a specail on PBS about the matter, and many older American "polka nuts" (for lack of a better phrase, no offense meant), bemoaned lack of interest amoung the greater part of the youth today.

Part of this has to do with many young people moving away and or inter-marriage that perhaps has weakened a solid say or Polish heritage. It really all depends on what sort of values the children get at home growing up. Though don't think many young men in America today would want to be caught dead wandering the streets in lederhosen, however it is common enough in Germany.

 
Launderess,

No offense taken by the use of "polka nuts". Yes, the majority of most polka band members are 50+ but there are several up and coming young musicians also. It gives me hope that the music will survive in some way, shape, or form.
 
I love Polka music,
here in S.W. Pennsylvania, it is a big thing as there seems to be a large population of Eastern Europeans. There are always Polka festivals here at least one every weekend at all the SNPJ clubs, the Polish clubs, Slovenian, clubs, Croatian clubs, and fire departments.I always look forward to going to the festivals to listen to the music, eat roasted lamb, perogi, and of course there are always nut and apricot kolaches at the desert tables
I also enjoy dancing to the Polkas, I prefer the Polish polkas for dancing since they are usually faster than the Slovenian polkas.

Here is a link to a Waltz by a Polka band in the area.Notice that there are a few young band members who are very talented on the acordian.

 
Yasum Mika, this is a Croatian tune, One of my all time favorites

www.youtube.com

primetimepolkas

We host the radio show "Prime Time Polkas" from Pittsburgh, PA, heard live Saturdays from noon-1pm on 92.3/94.1/102.1 FM & 620 AM KHB Radio and 24/7 through our website. On this site, you'll find everything from newly-shot polka videos to rare band footage from our archives. We're taking this...
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
 
Whirlcool, You Just Missed A Local Polka Festival

In Dallas, TX no less. Who knew?

blogs.dallasobserver.com

Kolaches, Klobase and 'Cue: A Brave Combo at Ennis' National Polka Festival

Sam and Bradley Chmelar, hulking twin terrors of the Ennis eating world, were ready to dominate the National Polka Festival's team kolache eating contest, and with college pal Larry Clem -- a veteran of the Don Juan breakfast taco challenge down in Austin -- there'd be no stopping them. With...
blogs.dallasobserver.com blogs.dallasobserver.com
 
Grab the Beer and Sausages

Shouldn't we plan an Oktoberfest and dance out legs off? My older brother was a career service man and had to dance a Polka with the General's wife at a military function. As distasteful as he finds me he asked for help. I showed him how to Polka and we practiced until he was quite good. Only problem.......I taught him how to follow. He and the General's wife looked at each other and tried to figure out how the arms fit and finally she grabbed him and led. Needless to say I didn't win any points with him as a dance instructor. Here's the Polka Queen in the blue shirt courtesy of his nellie dance instructor in argyle and his wife turns her gray head in shame at the upper right. Years have done little to ease the shame and pain.

mixfinder++6-2-2010-23-20-24.jpg
 
My grandmother has some fast tempoed Czech polka music on cassette and I love it. She gets a kick out of it when I ask her to play it (as opposed to the twangy, whinny ass "slit your wrist" country music she likes to play).
 
I forgot to include this link earlier, my good friend Aaron has an internet radio station that broadcasts polka music 24/7. Most of the music that he has was received from WRJQ, a former traditional radio station which was located in Appleton, WI. I also donated 99% of my grandmother's record collection to him, most of which he didn't have in his library. Most of the music he plays is Bohemian/Czech, WI/MN Dutchman, Slovenian, and a sprinkling of Polish. You can listen to it using either Windows Media Player, WinAmp, or RealPlayer.

www.wrjqradio.com

WRJQ Goodtime Radio | Polka Music 24 hours-a-day | Appleton, WI

WRJQ Goodtime Radio plays POLKA MUSIC 24 hours-a-day from studios in Appleton, Wisconsin.
www.wrjqradio.com www.wrjqradio.com
 
Here is some Polka in it's native habitat

The dancing looks like of like a variant of the Texas Two Step with some bouncing involved. It's looks rather difficult to learn, but the people dancing look like they are having a grand time!

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Laundress, Central Texas was largely founded by Czech and German people back in the mid 1860's. There are a lot of cultural things that go on from time to time. The summertime is when you can come across Polka feastivals, mainly in the Hill Country. Which is some of the most scenic areas of Texas.
 
Allen,

Funny you should find a clip of Karl Hartwich and his Country Dutchmen, they're one of the most popular polka bands in the Midwest. He taught himself to play the concertina, and can't read a note of music. He plays completely by ear. The concertina he's playing is a Hengel, and they start at about $10,000 for a used one, and at about $15,000 for a new one. Hengel concertina's are made completely by hand by Jerry Minar of New Prague, MN. He bought the copyrights, name, and equipment from Christy Hengel of New Ulm, MN who started making them in the 1950's. They're also considered some of the best in the world in terms of sound quality, and construction.
P.S. Karl sure loves his Dr. McGuillicudy's schnapps. He hauls his band and equipment in an old ambulance. I've tipped more than a few with him and the band in that ambulance. Every year at the polka fest in Ellsworth, WI, they set up a "band camp". You can imagine what all takes place during "band camp".
 

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