We got a bit of new music during our trip and I’ll be sharing a little here and there during the coming weeks. Sadly, much of it probably won’t be available in the States.
Once upon a time, there was a Polish folk band called “A Wista.” Comprised of highland students who’d landed in Krakow for studies, the band played a mix Slovakian, Moravian, Balkan, and Hungarian songs, along with traditional Polish songs from the southern, mountainous region of the country.
Their studies long completed, they’ve since gone their separate ways, though K and I have a connection to three of the band members.
- One is the husband of K’s good, better, bestest friend.
- Another, with a newly formed band, played at our wedding.
- A third, with K’s friend’s husband and two others, played at L’s baptism.
It’s a shame they’re no longer together, for their music is truly beautiful: virtuoso playing (violin, viola, and double bass) combined with strong singing.
Here is my favorite from their CD Festiwal Karpat: a haunting Slovakian number:
Anyone interested can buy individual MP3s of the album here.
For fun, here’s the Google translation of the page. The genre in the original Polish is listed as “Ludowa” (“folk”), but Google chose the equally valid translation of “China”.