Polka, Polka, Polka
Discover How to...Polka
A Polka Greeting from George
Give your Polka loving friends a link to this site... Let's see how many people we can get this silly little site out to. Just copy this link and paste it in an email to your friends... www.makemoneytrainingcenter.com/polka.html A Brief Polka HistoryThe Polka Dance originated in Bohemia around 1830...it was introduced to Western Europe shortly thereafter.
The music is in two-quarter time and has the rhythmical oddity of being accented on the second half of the beat.
Czech composer, Bedrich Smetana used it in his 1866 opera, "The Bartered Bride". Soon, other composers of art music began to use the dance in their compositions.
Most, History of Polka, stories follow a similar line...
A young peasant girl named Anna Chadimova or Anna Slezak invented the Polka. Some say she invented it one Sunday in 1834 for her own amusement. Other stories say it was invented when Anna worked for the Klastersky family in Kostelec nad Labem. Josef Neruda taught music to the Klastersky children...he loved to hear Anna sing her favorite folk song, "Strycek Nimra Koupil Simla" (Uncle Nimra bought a white horse). He composed music for the song as she sang it for him. She danced as she sang. Soon the young people in the town began to copy her dance. The dance soon spread to other towns. By 1835 they were dancing it in Prague...they called the dance pulka (Czech for half-step) because of the way you had to rapidly shift from one foot to the other. By 1840 they were dancing it in Paris. By the mid 1800's they were dancing the Polka in the United States.
Here's aonther version of the story taken from Streetswing.com.
By the way, in some versions, the story does not have a happy ending...Anna dies a pauper and the teacher, Josef Neruda is murdered.
The Polka gradually declined in popularity in the United States, hitting a low in the 1920's. After World War II Polish immigrants adopted the Polka as their National Dance, which helped it regain popularity. It really took off when Lawrence Welk brought it to TV (ana one ana two...I don't think Lawrence could count past two). My Polka MemoriesIn Minnesota, where I come from, the Polka is linked closely with the Polish and Germans. My first memories of Polka music (or, for that matter, any music, was my Polish Mom listening to it every Sunday on KNUJ Radio out of New Ulm, Minnesota. In fact, whenever I get back home on Sundays Mom still has the radio tuned to KNUJ and Polka Music fills the house.
The Beer Barrel Polka was one of the songs I heard every Sunday Afternoon. Here's a version of it...not the best version but it'll give you a little idea of what a Polka sounds like. The version I remember from KNUJ was a lot better and the words were great..."Roll out the barrel, we'll have a barrel of fun..." I can't remember the rest of the words. The Beer Barrel Polka You can listen to more Polkas here Polka Web. Check out the dancing penguin.
To be honest with you I though most of these were horrible versions. I tried to listen to a couple of my favorites like the Beer Barrel Polka and the Minnesota Polka. Tom Brusky has instrumental versions but...you should still be able to make out the words...I couldn't. The Minnesota Polka has the refrain "...What do they do in Minnesota, in Minnesota, oh what do they do in Minnesota in the cold, cold frosty winter time..." No where could I get that by listening to Tom's instrumental version. And no where could I hear "Roll Out the Barrel" in his version. The version of Roll out the Barrel (listed above) is much better.
Then I came upon a Texas Polka site...Barf, barf, barf. I just can't handle Polkas sung with a Country Western twist.
When I was young (until my High School days) I didn't even know there was any dances other than the Polka...I only went to wedding dances with my folks and "Old Time" (Polka) music was played at those dances.
The only singer or band that I recall from my younger days is Whoopie John and the Goose Town Band, out of New Ulm, MN. Whoopie John's real name was John Wilphart. This gave rise to the joke..."Whoopie John will fart and the band will play". (Oh, I just remembered...there were also the 6 Fat Dutchmen) Polka todayMy son Jack, just did some work with Whoopie John's Grandson. He said they're still making money with the Polka music. Jack said they have a website...I'll put it here when he gets it to me.
The local TV Station, KEYC TV, has a live Polka dance on every afternoon. If you're at my Aunt Stella's house on a Sunday afternoon (I think it's around 4:30pm) She'll have her TV turned to Channel 12 to watch Band Wagon, the live Polka show.
Polkas seemed to fade out for a while...then I started hearing them again as John Candy poked some fun at them with his Polka, Polka, Polka skits.
Do I Polka?
I'm sorry to say that while I love watching it and like the music...I have a disability, two left feet, that prevents me from dancing.
Look'n to Polka? take a gander at these sites...
Arizona Polka Dancing
I hope you enjoyed this little Polka Site...email me at and let me know what you think of it.
um pa pa
Talking about all this Polka Music brings back memories of my Great-uncle Leo (Pee-Haw) who drank beer whenever possible and danced on the tables yelling "Pee Haw" (well into his 90's) whenever he heard Polka music.
Warmly, GeorgeCallens
PS - Darn...Now I have the Beer Barrel Polka rolling in my head and I can't get it out!
PPS - If you have any Polka Sites, events, comments or observations send them to me...if I get enough I'll include them here...along with your name and picture (if that's what your little heart desires:-)
PPSS -If you wish to put your Polka music on line so that everyone can hear it, I suggest using a program called Audio Generator. When you get to the site Alex will tell you about how this is great for Audio Post cards and for selling on your website...that's all true. But...It's great for putting any Audio up on the Internet. It does not use up the bandwith on your site...AudioGenerator Puts everything on their site in a format that everyone can listen to. It's the same Technology I used in the Audio Greeting you heard when you clicked on the button at the top of this site.
|