_ By now everyone should know that the Polka is not a National Dance in Poland, but rather, Polkas come from old folk tunes (even war songs), set to a dance beat by Polish Americans.
As the girls sang, they put their arms around each other and swayed side to side. Having taken this song to their hearts, he knew they would touch the hearts of their audience, so it was added to their repertoire. In 1948 Composer Tadeusz Sygietyński and his wife, Actress-Singer, Mira Zimińska-Sygietyńska gathered musicians from the villages of central Poland, in order to learn from them the folk music of the region. Then they brought the most talented teenagers from the countryside to an estate outside of Warsaw, called Karolin, and taught them the songs that Sygietyński had arranged for the stage. They lived at the beautiful 19th century estate, and received an education, which included the arts. The goal was to keep alive Poland’s rich musical heritage and culture in spite of Communist rule. The result was the Państwowy Zespół Ludowy Pieśni i Tańca Mazowsze... the Mazowsze Polish Folk Song and Dance Ensemble.
I’ve told this story many times, how I grew up in a Polish community in the U.S., but was not interested in my heritage, until I saw a performance by the Mazowsze Polish Folk Song and Dance Ensemble better known as the Państwowy Zespół Ludowy Pieśni i Tańca Mazowsze im. Tadeusza Sygietyńskiego w Karolinie.
Sure, the boys were very handsome (and the girls beautiful), and I was embarking on a career as a dancer, so the obvious attractions were there. However, it was something more.
Maybe it was the memory of a song on the radio… or a Mazur from a Chopin concert... Maybe it was the Polish blood flowing through my veins.... Maybe it was all of these things that caused my heart to beat to the rhythms of the music of Tadeusz Sygietyński. Whatever it was, it was magic ! I was hooked !! The 60th Anniversary North American tour reminds us of the artistic phenomenon that is the Mazowsze Polish Folk Song and Dance Company…. or, as they are better known: Państwowy Zespół Ludowy Pieśni i Tańca Mazowsze im. Tadeusza Sygietyńskiego w Karolinie. Ok, maybe that is just their official name. All around the world they are simply known as “Mazowsze”, and they are Poland’s most influential ambassadors. They do it all through music…. presenting the charm of Polish folklore, beautiful songs, dances, and folk costumes from 43 distinct ethnographic regions of Poland, as well as the 5 National Dances: Polonez, Mazur, Krakowiak, Kujawiak, and Oberek.
When the Mazowsze Polish Folk Song and Dance Ensemble toured the U.S.A. and Canada, they dazzled audiences with, not only songs and dances from 43 ethnographic regions of Poland, but they also sang several beautiful Kolędy, Polish Christmas Carols, which echo the rhythms of the Polonaise, Mazur, Kujawiak, and Krakowiak, Poland's national dances. Polish Kolędy first appeared in the 15th century. A large number of them were written during the Baroque period, and, by the 17th century, the number of Polish Carols was immense, with a greater variety than any other country.
Polish composers and folk writers were not concerned that Bethlehem was nothing like the snowy mountain region of Zakopane, or that the shepherds did not have Polish names, but those are the images that these songs evoke. Here are a few Kolędy performed by the Magnificent Mazowsze: Poland is a nation rich in culture, and musical tradition. In fact, Poland even has five (5) National Dances. There are few countries in the world that have even one national dance.
Brazil has the Samba, Argentina the Tango, Cuba has the Rumba, and Ukraine has the Hopak. Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the Merengue as a national dance. Several Middle Eastern countries share the Dabke. Other than Poland, it is only Columbia that has more than one dance: the Cumbia and the Vallenate. The U.S.A. on the other hand, does not have a national dance, however about half of the states have a State Dance, and most of them claim the Square Dance, though Hawaii has the Hula, and South Carolina has the Shag. Plus, in a tradition of east versus west, California has the West Coast Swing (in addition to the Square Dance), while New York has the Lindy Hop (also known as Eastern Swing). Wisconsin and Pennsylvania both claim the Polka. Which leads us back to Poland. No, the Polka is not a national dance of Poland. Poland’s national dances are: The Krakowiak, the Mazur (Mazurka), Polonez (Polonaise), the Kujawiak, and the Oberek. These dances, which originated in the Polish countryside, were so popular that they found their way to the royal court, and were even incorporated into classical works by composers like Chopin. The unfortunate thing about Europe is Techno-Rock. Now, I admit it’s been a few years since I’ve been to a night-club in Poland, but I have wondered why Techno-Rock has lasted so long when the American equivalent, Disco, faded so quickly on this side of the pond. One of the reasons we go to Europe is to connect with history. But, of course, European cities are much like those in the New World… modern ! So, we visit the “old town”, and tour castles, and seek out folk dance groups to take us back in time. It is all there for the tourist. However, there is an area in Poland where the old music is as common as the contemporary. In the bars and restaurants of the mountain regions of the south, you can still hear Góralski kapelas (Highlander bands) playing the old mountain tunes, singing in their loud, traditional “white voice”. (I guess that’s so they could be heard in the hills.) Trebunie-Tutki is the most well known, but my favorite is Andrzej Obrochty-Bartuś. I had the chance to hear them perform when my Mother and I visited Zakopane. We had lunch in a karczma (tavern), and there was a great sounding Góralski band playing for the tourists. I immediately recognized them, and asked them to autograph a couple of their CD’s which I had purchased earlier that day. I am sure they were quite surprised that an American even knew who they were. On the other hand, I never liked groups like Krywań, who jazz up Góralski music… that is, until I heard them perform at an International Highland Music Festival.
Birds are like little angels, bringing sweet songs and divine guidance to us. Our tiny feathered friends can be brightly colored, like the bluebirds, cardinals, and finches in my Mother’s backyard in Western New York, or, like out here in the high desert of Southern California, black, brown, and grey. Nonetheless, the grey and white Mockingbird’s nightly concerts have brought me endless hours of joy. And I do mean endless hours. They sing all night long, taking the mandatory five minute break each hour. They also sing during the day. This is especially true of the bachelor who is trying to attract a female. According to author, Andrea Wansbury, the message of the Mockingbird is Respect….as in R-E-S-P-E-C-T, and they certainly could rival Aretha Franklin in the way they belt out a song. In recent years, the Polish „Dożynki” Harvest Festival has become increasingly popular among American & Canadian Polonia. However, no Harvest festival can compare to the Orange County Onion Harvest Festivals that were held years ago in Pine Island, New York. The Black Dirt Region, known as the Onion Capital of the World, still has it’s annual Onion Harvest Festival, but it is pretty much like all the other the festivals in the northeast. In the past, it was so much more: A Woodstock-like outdoor celebration, beginning with a float Parade; the crowning of a Queen and her court; a Mass; presentation of the wreath to the Lord and Lady of the Manor; Polka dancing; Polish cuisine; and more than 250 locals, young and old, dressed in home-made Polish costumes, performing traditional Polish folk songs and dances. The Orange County Onion Harvest Festival began in 1939, and was held every two years or so, on a farm in Pine Island. It took all that time for the community to prepare. There was, however, a long gap between the 1964 festival (attended by over 30,000 people), and the next one in 1983, when the tradition began again... and was bigger and better than ever! I was originally planning to dance in that festival, but ended up doing a news report on it instead: |