The Warsaw Village Band (Kapela ze Wsi Warszawa) is one of the most outstanding Euro-folk groups to come out of Poland in recent years. Folk music is undergoing a renaissance; however it has been considerably altered. Ancient instruments and tunes now meet invigorating contemporary rhythms and haunting cutting-edge vocals – this is not your grandparents’ folk music, but old traditions in a radical new form.
Under the auspices of The Polish Cultural Institute of New York, the Band will tour the United States appearing at the following venues:
- Thursday, Oct. 29 – Minneapolis, MN at The Cedar
- Friday, Oct. 30 – Milwaukee, WI at Alverno College
- Saturday, Oct. 31 – Chicago, IL at Old Town School of Folk Music
- Sunday, November 1 – Cleveland, OH at Beachland
- Monday, Nov. 2 – Pittsburgh, PA at Synod Hall
- Wednesday, Nov. 4 – Toronto, On at Lula Lounge
- Friday, Nov. 6 – Somerville, MA at Somerville Theater
- Saturday, Nov. 7 – Washington, DC at National Geographic
- Sunday, Nov. 8 – New York City at World Music Institute - Highline Ballroom
Older musicians who still play the traditional Polish instruments were a major inspiration for the Band. They traveled from village to village, seeking out the older generation; listened to their music and their stories. What surprised them was that no one else in the villages was interested in this music anymore. Without the research of the Band the music would have died with the old.
The most interesting instrument in their collection is the suka from Biłgoraj - an old form of the violin, originating in the sixteenth century, with strings that are played with the fingernails.
The group’s tour is supported by the City of Warsaw and Stoleczna Estrada – Cultural Institution of the Capital City of Warsaw.
- Staś Kmieć
