Warsaw Village Band
Warsaw Village Band
A.J. Shiarella, Editor-in-Chief
January 7, 2010
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Featured A&E
When hearing the term “Polish folk music”, most people are drawn to imagine a flamboyant barrage of accordions and synchronized short half-steps. They are not completely wrong; Poland does have its share of lurid bellows-driven splendor, but they are also far from completely right. From the classical works of Chopin and Penderecki to Poland’s own musical genres of poezja śpiewana and disco polo, the country has long had a varied and dynamic music scene. In addition, it is one of only a few countries in Europe where rock and hip hop dominate over pop music and all types of alternative genres are well supported. Believe it or not, the diverseness and adaptability of this music scene is deeply rooted in Poland’s own ancient, yet often unnoticed, folk traditions. Perhaps no band today exemplifies this fact better than the Kapela ze wsi Warszawa or Warsaw Village Band.
The band was formed in 1997 with the purpose of conserving Poland’s rich yet disappearing folk traditions. At the crossroads between the homogenization of culture under the Russia-controlled communist regime and the influx of modern, western culture with the incursion of capitalism, at this time, many of Poland’s localized folk musical customs were endangered. The Warsaw Village Band, by traveling around the countryside, began both learning and documenting these traditions, quickly gaining a varied musical repertoire. Part of this revival was the inclusion of some of Poland’s antiquated instruments and musical styles, such as the suka, a folk fiddle from the 16th century known only from historical drawings and bialy glos or “white voice”, a powerful, melodic vocal style once used to communicate across long distances.
In 1998, they recorded their first album, “Hopsasa Classic Polo”, displaying the traditional songs they had picked up in their travels. Their unique style quickly gained the attention of listeners, winning them the radio competition “New Traditions” in 1998. Then in 2002, they released their second album, “People’s Spring”, which continued in the same traditional style, but with slightly more personal input, including songs that addressed social and political concerns, like “Who is Getting Married”, a commentary on being free from marital dependence, and “Crane”, a protest song aimed at Polish youth. Also, the album features two songs, “Matecka” and “Joint Venture in the Village”, which combine their traditional style with contemporary dance and world fusion, producing an exceptionally interesting product. For this album they won BBC Radio’s “Best Newcomer” award in world music. With the Warsaw Village Band’s next album, “Uprooting”, released in 2004, the band continued their endeavor to not only preserve Polish folk music, but also redefine it. This album features the inclusion of two dub-sound and scratch specialists who add to a modern feel to the band’s deep-rooted musical legacy. The innovative product of this converging of styles gained the band a Fryderyk award for the “Best Polish album of 2005” and a final 10 nomination Grammy for “Best Folk Album”. Next, with their release of “Upmixing”, the Warsaw Village Band continued surpassing both cultural barriers and people’s expectations. “Upmixing” is reggae remix based on the album “Uprooting” in which recognized DJs from around the world add a new twist to the original compositions. Lastly, in the Warsaw Village Band’s most recent album, “Infinity”, released in 2008, features aspects of the band’s traditional Polish style with original compositions by band leader Wojtek Krzak and Maja Kleszcz.
As for my review, I would definitely give the Warsaw Village Band five stars for their varied and original contribution not only to the long standing Polish folk music heritage, but also the quickly growing role of traditional input in the world music scene. The music of this unique band never grows old as there is always a new aspect of their repertoire to discover, from ancient folk tunes to modern reggae remixes. The band’s creative approach to cultural conservation is evidence of the fact that to preserve a tradition, you must add to it. I strongly recommend their music to anyone who is interested in listening to something new, inventive, and truly “alternative”.
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