Re: Poles & Klez

[Paul M. Gifford <PGIFFORD...>]

MaxwellSt (at) aol(dot)com wrote:

> Having said that, I have done a few outreach concerts.  DO include polkas, 
> mazurkas and krakoviaks.  Do NOT include Russian music--Jewish music is OK, 
> but Russia is the oppresser and Ochi Chorniye or Moscow Nights would be 
> distinctly unwelcome additions to this program.

On the other hand, Russian-style Gypsy music is popular with Poles. 
My friend Nicolae Feraru, a Romanian Gypsy, has played at a couple 
of "Gypsy Night" Polish cabaret concerts in Chicago (he being the 
only Gypsy), organized by a Polish violinist. But this was for Polish 
immigrants, rather than Polish-Americans. I heard a Gypsy street band 
in Warsaw play stuff like "Ochi chorniye" as well as Hungarian notak. 
There was a Polish Gypsy ensemble that toured in the '70s and made a 
record---there music resembles the Tsarist-era Gypsy choir music---
but supposedly they got asylum in Sweden or somewhere and there was 
no more Polish Gypsy ensemble. Maybe some wouldn't like Russian 
stuff, but some seem to like a popular "Gypsy" music, Russian Gypsy 
being the main thing they would be familiar with. Incidentally, on 
the streets of Warsaw, there are a lot of Gypsy beggars from Serbia 
(NOT hereditary professional musicians) with children who play one 
tune on small accordions. And guess what that tune is? Ochi chorniye. 
 Obviously they are conforming to the Polish conception of what is 
expected from Gypsies----playing for money on the street is accepted 
as a longstanding custom, but just begging, with appearing to play 
anything, is not liked.

Then there is the "Internationale," but that's a different story....

Paul Gifford

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