Music

St Nicholas Orchestra (Orkiestra Św. Mikołaja) / Krakowiacy
Traditional Polish folk music & dancing.

Krakowiacy is a Polish folk dancing group. No tour of Poland’s folk roots would be fully complete without dancing! Saddle-up with Krakowiacy, as the troupe spin and sway their way through the folklore of Poland’s far flung regions before returning to the Kraków region for a proper knees-up. The costumes, props and backdrops, along with the atmosphere and pace of the songs, change many times as the story of Poland’s diverse folk history unfolds.

The Saint Nicholas Orchestra have played over 1000 concerts and made 4countless TV appearances worldwide. The group describe themselves as a “Musical Laboratory of Tradition”. “In Poland our music is recognised by audiences as folk music, powerfully transformed, yet inspired by very authentic sources”. These ‘authentic’ sources (a research project and labour of love spanning 30 years) are a rich collection of traditional lyrics and melodies from aural, written and archival records that would be the envy of any music conservatory. Their aim is to locate music and styles that “can inspire and enrich contemporary culture yet which were condemned to be forgotten”.

The Orchestra not only bring this music to today’s ears, but also seek to preserve the vitality and energy associated with true folk music. This is music for today, living and breathing tradition.Saint Nicholas employ a raft of universal and regional instruments; violins, dulcimers, mandolins, double bass, dutar, flutes, congas, bass drums, guitars, uod, saz, koboz – so get ready for a real adventure in folklore!

Folk style visuals by VJ Robert Motyka.

Krakowiacy organised in co-operation with The City of Edinburgh Council and The Municipality of Krakow. Concert organised in co-operation with Lion Stage Scotland.

Date: Thursday 23 April
Time: 8.00 pm – 10.00 pm
Venue: The Queens Hall
Tickets: £10 (£8 concesion)

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Village Kollektiv / Joint Venture Sound System (support)
Electric fusion of folk music and electronica with traditional singing techniques.

Village Kollektiv was formed in 2002 by members of acclaimed polish folk/fusion groups the Warsaw Village Band, Masala, Stara Lipa & Swoja Droga. Mixing electronica, live instrumentation and vocals, they are a landmark group in Poland; in many ways similar to the late Martyn Bennett and his fusion of Scottish folk and dance music.

The Kollektiv fashion together electro, dub, drum & bass rhythms, along with traditional melodies collected from the people of the Polish Kurpie region. Traditional vocal techniques such as throat singing from Tuva and ‘yoik’ of the Sami people are also thrown into the mix, to unique effect. Traditional melodies are often jump-off points for creative musical journeys and instrumental improvisation. Melodic, hypnotic and timeless – ancient and modern Poland, together on the dancefloor.

Joint Venture are pioneers of the Polish sound system scene with a mission statement that reads like a treatise to experimentalism. Their sound sits at the crossroads between electro, old school dub, world club beat, Asian beats, and reggae yet always manages to make you feel as though you’re on a trip somewhere entirely new, with diverse sampling and world music influences.

Producer and Lynchpin of the band Activator has worked collaboratively with a wide cast from the likes of Zion Train and the Warsaw Village Band to the UK’s Asian Dub Foundation. He also reputedly performs dressed as a Catholic priest. Come along, and recieve a heavenly blessing!

At the concert VJ Robert Motyka will fill the venue with the amazing colours and folk style audio visuals specially prepared for the occasion.

Concert organised in co-operation with Lion Stage Scotland.

Time: 7.00 pm – 10.00 pm
Venue: The Bongo Club
Tickets: £11

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Aleksander Kudajczyk
Piano concert

Aleksander Kudajczyk graduated from the Music Academy in Łódź and has played in Europe to great acclaim for many years. His talent was recognised by the Polish Ministry of Art and Culture and also in winning the Josef Hofmann award in Nałęczów.

Arriving in Scotland in 2006, he found work initially as a cleaner at Glasgow University where; if not for a web-cam catching him practising on the chaplain's piano, his talent might not have been discovered here. Before the story broke, his web-cam recitals had engaged a steady following of eager music buffs. A fairytale entrance, which captured the imagination of the world's media and was later translated into over 30 languages.

Today, 2 years on, Aleksander is now recognised as a significant and very bright talent. Aleksander will be playing a selection of pieces by Chopin, Rachmaninov's Preludes no.2 and no 5 as well as Scriabin's Etudes no.1, no.5 and no.12.

Date: Friday 24 April
Time: 7.00 pm – 8.30 pm
Venue: Edinburgh Society of Musicians
Tickets: £6

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Ceilidh with a Polish Twist
Thunderdog Band and Krakowiacy

Now this is a Ceilidh with a difference! The Thunderdog Ceilidh Band has spent the last ten years delighting dancers all over Scotland and beyond. With a fusion of traditional Scottish folk mixed with bluegrass, reggae, blues and techno: no two gigs are ever quite the same!

The band have had repeated invitations to Poland for this performance, however, Poland has graciously come to them, in the form of Krakowiacy, the celebrated folk singing and dance group. You can add a few new moves to your dancefloor repertoire as the group teach you dances like the Mazurek and the Polonez.

Date: Friday 24 April
Time: 8.00 pm – 10.30 pm
Venue: Thomas Morton Hall
Tickets: £4

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Jarosław Śmietana Quartet- Premier Polish jazz musicians

Jarosław Śmietana has long been a leading light of the Polish jazz scene and a highly respected figure across Europe. Founder member of the legendary band ‘Extra Ball’ in the mid seventies, he has had a prolific career with well over 200 compositions and 23 albums as band leader to his name.

Smietana has also collaborated with Jazz's finest: Art Farmer, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Zawinul, Eddie Henderson, Vince Mednoza, Idris Muhammad, Carter Jefferson, John Abercrombie, Mike Stern, David Gilmore and Dave Friedman... the list goes on. At 57 his creative appetite is as voracious as ever. Recent projects include an album of music by Ornette Coleman and collaboration with the Chamber orchestra of Galicja and Nigel Kennedy.

Event Organised in co-operation with Edinburgh City Council and Krakow Municipality.

Date: Sunday 26 April
Time: 8.00 pm – 9.30 pm
Venue: Reid Concert Hall
Tickets: £9 (£6 concession)

Ela Masiak 'Zapomniane Melodie'/'Forgotten Melodies' - jazz vocal & piano concert featuring the best Polish songs from 1920's to 70's

 Ela Masiak - a Polish jazz vocalist & pianist graduated from Krakow School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, awarded at the jazz contests by the Polish Jazz Association. 

The concert 'Zapomniane melodie'/ 'Forgotten Melodies 'will feature jazz arrangements of hits from the Polish pre-war films, and lyrical songs with sophisticated humour by Jeremi Przybora & Jerzy Wasowski. All of this will be in vibrant interpretations with the space for instrumental and vocal improvisations.

Special retro atmosphere will be additionally created by visuals designed by VJ Robert Motyka.

Date: Sunday 26 April 2009
Venue: The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1HR (www.thejazzbar.co.uk)
Start time: 6pm (doors open from 5.30) 
Duration: 60minutes
Admission £4/£3

NOTE - The venue is not allowed to admit children under the age of 14.
The venue cannot sell advance tickets nor take table reservations.

Contact:music@polishculturalfestival.org.uk

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