Performers and craftsmen: Stephane Delicq - a charismatic French virtuoso of the diatonic accordion. He performs both traditional music (waltzes, bourrees, mazurkas, Scottish) and his own compositions. He works as a music instructor. He has recently released his third CD "La discrete", which has been enthusiastically received by critics and the French public. Meszaros Band from Budapeszt
Tibi Meszaros - violin The group consists of:
Tibi Mészáros (violin) - a professional musician for 7 years, also works as a folk music teacher. Recipient of the Young Master of Folk Art Award. Leader of the group, which also bears his name. Warsaw Dance HouseBartosz Niedźwiecki (b. 1975) - fiddler, bag piper, bagpipe maker. He comes from a family of village musicians (great-grandfather, grandfathers, father).Emilia Okołotowicz (b. 1978) drummer, bassist, dancer (together with Piotr Zgorzelski, she leads workshops of traditional Polish village dances). She is now completing her degree in ethnology at the University of Warsaw. The Niedźwiecki Family Band Together they form "Kapela Niedźwieckich," which plays old village music from the Mazovia and Wielkopolska regions. They play traditional instruments, the same as were used in the past by authentic village musicians (fiddle, bass, drums, bagpipe), and they refrain from arranging this beautiful old music in any way. They take special care to recreate the melodies accompanying many customs and dances. Their repertoire consists of a range of dance tunes - obereks, polkas, marches, slow dances etc. - many of them accompanied by singing, as well as ritual and popular songs. They are fascinated by the spirit of old ritual songs, based on ancient musical scales. They also work on reconstructing the sound of Mazovia pipe bands, which have not survived till our day. Pies SzczekaAgata Harz - vocals We have learnt most of the tunes and techniques of playing directly from the oldest Polish village musicians. Having great respect for them and their art, we believe that the rough beauty of their music does not need embellishment and modernisation, that it can be played and sung in the same way our ancestors did. Piotr Zgorzelski - graduated from the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology (University of Warsaw). In the past, he played folk-inspired music with the Jejante group. He was the initiator and the leading figure of the "Roots" scene at the "Remont" student club in Warsaw (1994-96). He co-founded the Dance House Association. He is now mostly involved in dancing and dance leading. Over the last six years, he has been running series of dance workshops, teaching traditional dances from the Polish lowlands (the Mazovia, Wielkopolska and Kurpie regions). His study of the dances has taken the form of direct contact with village dancers, as well as research of archival sources. He has developed his own method of instruction, which takes into account the skill and capabilities of the young generation, who have grown up without any contact with traditional music. For the past three years he has been running dance workshops at the "Le Grand Bal de l'Europe" festival in Gennetines, France. He runs the workshops together with the Niedzwieccy band, who play traditional instruments (fiddle, bagpipe, bass, drum) which come from the same regions as the dances. He is one of the first people in Poland whose approach allows traditional dance to preserve its original function, i.e. bringing together a community of people. He works together with musicians from the Dance House. Agata Harz - educated in oriental studies and self-taught singer, she was particularly interested in different singing techniques (e.g. classic and modern). For many years, she has been perfecting her use of traditional techniques in singing old Polish and Ukrainian songs. She was a member of Bractwo Ubogich as well as an avant-garde group Ksiezyc. She performs with the Dance House musicians, the Pies Szczeka band and the historical music group Ars Nova.
Katarzyna Andrzejowska - de Latour - (1968) graduated from the Music Academy in Warsaw (Music Education). He also a percussionist. For many years she has been interested in Polish village-style singing, mostly from Central Poland (Kurpie and Radomskie), where she has been collecting old traditional songs. She has also been using the archives of Prof. Bieńkowski, the Polish Academy of Science and Polish Radio. She
has been running singing workshops at the Warsaw Dance House, with
which she has been involved since its beginnings. She plays the fiddle
performing with the Pies Szczeka band. She has recently become interested
in playing Jewish Marcin Żytomirski i Dorota Murzynowska - fuelled by their passion for Transylvanian music and dance, they co-founded the Hungarian Dance House in Warsaw. For the last four years they have been running Hungarian folklore workshops and dance nights. Every year they develop their skills at traditional dance camps in Transylvania. They perform dances from mid-Transylvania (the Szek and Mezoseg regions), the Szekely Land (csardas from Sovidek, Gypsy dances from Szaszcsavas), the Gyimes highlands and Romanian Moldova. At the Chlewiska Summer Camp they will teach what is possibly the most popular kind of dance at Hungarian Dance Houses: the csardas from Mezoseg.
THE PEŁKA BAND from Kłudno - Marian Pełka (concertinas), Jan Wochniak (drum), Augustyn Szymański (fiddle) and Jan Gaca (fiddle) THE KOŁAZIŃCY BAND from Zdunkowo - Wieslawa Gromadzka (concertina), Stefan Kołazińnski (fiddle), Maria Korczyńska (drum) THE JAKUBOWSKI BAND from Ruda Zajączkowska - Zygmunt Jakubowski (fiddle, voice), Zdzisław Giemza (drum) THE BUJAK BAND from Szydłowiec - Marian Bujak (fiddle), Ryszard Bujak (drum) THE TKACZYK BAND from Ostałówek - Józef Tkaczyk (fiddle), Jan Karczewski (drum) THE WYRWIŃSCY BAND from Korzyce - Adam Wyrwiński (fiddle), Józefa Wyrwińska (drum) THE GACA BAND from Przystałowice Małe - Jan Gaca (fiddle), Stefan Gaca (drum, voice) THE ST ĘPNIAK BAND from Radom - Stanisław Stępniak (concertina), Augustyn Szymański (fiddle), Jan Wochniak (drum)Henryk Rokita - pottery-maker and clay-sculptor. Lives in Rędocin (radomskie region), one of the last authentic folk crafts centres in Poland, which has produced several generations of famous potters and sculptors. Both he and his wife have been involved in pottery-making since early childhood. They have been exhibiting their craft at various exhibitions and festivals.
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