Polish Fiddle Music, in common with that of England, has had something of a difficult time, and a bad press to boot. Surrounded by its flashy and exotic neighbours in Russia, Hungary and the Balkans, the folk music of Poland, with its major keys, medium tempos, relative lack of ornamentation, and the taste of the "poisoned chalice" of the Bavarian Oompah , all leave Polish folk music looking rather tame. Is there more to Polsh fiddle music than meets the eye?
One young band determined to break the mold of this stuffy image is the Warsaw Village Band. They reach both forwards, incorporating elements of hip-hop and techno, and backwards, using various archaic Polish instruments including a unique Polish fiddle variant, the Suka, played in the band by Sylwia Swiatkowska.
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Tradition and origin of All Saints' Day and Halloween is the same but these two days are so different in their atmosphere! Although All Saints' Day is celebrated among catholic all around the world this celebration is Poland has especially solemn manner.
All Saints' Day in Poland is a holiday for everybody except of transportation and emergency services. In spite of its religious roots it was also observed during communistic times as a Day of Deceased. The traffic on the roads and streets is very high since almost everybody had to commute to reach
the family's graves.
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In the tourist area of Polish Mountains people wear regional costumes on a daily basis.
Podhale is probably the only region in Poland where folk costumes are used commonly. It is partly due to a rich tradition of this region, partly to attract tourists. All horse cabmen wear traditional folk costumes. Here wearing a folk costume help with the business since the business rely mainly on tourists.
Mountaineers called in Polish górale, are well-known not only for their regional pride but also for their patriotism and even anti-communism. Gorale allegedly saved a life of a Polish king Jan Casimir when he was escaping Swedish deluge invasion in XVII century.
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- Document the genealogy and family relationships of the early Polish settlers in Texas.
- Trace the families back to their home villages in Poland.
- Explore the relationships of the early Texas Poles to the early Chicago, New York, Michigan and other northeast US Polish immigrants.
- Help preserve the rich heritage and culture of the Polish people.
- Provide a clearing house for articles and news about the history and current affairs of the Polish ethnic communities in Texas.
Welcome to the Polish Texans website, your source of information on the history, culture, news, current events and genealogy of the Poles who call Texas home. This site is dedicated to the brave Polish men and women who left their ancestral homes in Europe and settled in a new land, the Lone Star state of Texas. These early immigrants settled in the Texas communities of Panna Maria, Anderson, Yorktown, Stoneham, Brenham, Bremond, Chappell Hill, New Waverly, San Antonio, Houston and others.
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Originally Published in the Texas Polka News
There are over 50,000 people of Polish descent in the Houston and surrounding areas. As a Texan of Polish descent, I can add that Polish music has been an integral part of my appreciation of my Polish heritage. For many others, it may be their only link to their cultural past.
Many people are not aware that Polish music is or ever was alive in the Texas region. Prior to 1980 there were only nine recordings in existence representing the Texas Polish style. Six cuts were by Steve Okonski who represented the Robertson County style ; three others were by Randy and the Rockets with well-liked fiddler Pete Kwiatkowski who represented the Washington County style. But I jump ahead of myself.
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When researching your Polish ancestors it helps to know the English equivalent to the Polish given names. Here is a list of some of the more common names.
