Polka in the United States

is a music and dance style that originated in Bohemia in the 1830s and came to American society with immigrants from Europe. A fast style in time, and often associated with the pre–World War II era, polka remains a dynamic niche music in America.

Description

Several polka genres exist in the United States, each with its own unique characteristics and performers. Though these polka genres vary, all are unified in the expression of ethnicity by performers and participants. Polka enthusiasts gather to enjoy their love of the music and dance and to honor their heritage at polka festivals. Modern media enables these fans to stay connected and share their passion. Though it passed its heyday in the 1950s the polka remains an active music form with distinct genres, leading performers, and active organizations. Where it is popular, the polka is a manifestation of the culture of those who participate in it. It is the state dance of Wisconsin.

Polka genres

Although author Charles Keil admits that "there are as many styles of polka as there are polka localities", he and his wife in their 2005 Ethnomusicology Forum article divided American polka music into three major genres:

Slavic, with its subgenres, Czech-American, Polish-American, and Slovenian-American
Germanic, with its subgenres, German-American
Southwestern, with its subgenres, Mexican-American and Papago-Pima

The two Slavic genres are found primarily in eastern and midwestern America, the Germanic genres in midwestern and western America, and the Southwestern genres in southwestern America. The different genres are united by the characteristic time signature that exists in all polkas as well as by instruments and lyrics that are similar throughout all styles. Polka bands across all genres typically include an accordion or concertina, wind instruments, and drums. The lyrics sung by these bands are united by their discussion of joy, religion, and ethnic culture. Differences stem from variations in instrumentation, tempo, and the popularity of the genre in various places.

Traditional polka subgenres

Czech-American

Czech-American style polka is found in Texas, Nebraska, and across the rural Midwest. In Texas a distinct Czexan sound evolved and has found the most commercial success. The Czexan sound is characterized by an accordion, bass guitar, saxophones and sometimes tubas. Generally the Czexan style has a prominent bass sound.
The Czexan sound is a mix of old world and new world elements. It is characterized by old world Czech melodies from folk songs form the 1800s-1950s, with some songs being Czech language compositions original to Texas. However considerable innovation and crossover with other cultures, namely the Mexican American Tejano culture and country western dancing have occurred which can set it apart from traditional Czech music in Europe and other diaspora communities.
The Czech music in other Czech American communities tends to be prominent but not as commercialized as Texas. In Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Kansas the style of Polka music is similar to the Texas Czechs, but in Wisconsin and Minnesota the big band brass style of polka is more prominent.
At its core Czech American polka music is dance music with many different local variations developing into distinct folk dances such as the: Seven Step Polka, Garden Waltz, and Schottische.
Historically dances were key to the cohesiveness of Czech American communities, and offered a safe space for Czech Americans. Today Czech American music is influenced by other accordion music as well as Czech and Slovak folk pop and Dechovka. Polka remains an enduring and evolving style of music core to the Czech American identity.

Polish-American

The Polish-American style of polka is perhaps the most popular today. Polish Polka bands not only play polkas, but also play obereks, waltzes, and sometimes tangos. In fact, the "Polish polka" as we know it was never danced in Poland. Rather, different forms of polka existed in Polish folk dancing. This popularity is due in part to the fact that performers in this genre have worked to appeal to a larger audience by adding covers of modern music alongside normal polkas in their albums and performances. For example, the polka band Toledo Polka Motion includes a cover of the Beatles' "I'm a Loser" along with traditional pieces such as "Pod Krakowem" on one of their albums. Polka star Jimmy Sturr has even included recordings with stars such as Willie Nelson to get the country music audience interested in polka. The hotspots for Polish-American polka are mostly in cities near the Great Lakes and some East Coast cities.
Polish-American polka can be subdivided into Chicago-style and Eastern-style. The typical Chicago-style polka band includes one or two trumpets, an accordion, a concertina, drums, a bass, and sometimes a clarinet, saxophone, or fiddle. This style is connected to the '50s rock-and-roll era and is sometimes referred to as "push" style because of the intense "bellow-shaking" of the accordion. A secondary style of Chicago-style polka music is referred to as "honky" style; this consists of a trumpet, clarinet, concertina or accordion, upright bass, & drums. It is performed in a dixieland style, and sung primarily in the Polish language. Most polka artists add a piano on recordings for embellishment. The modern giants of Chicago-style are Lenny Gomulka and the late Eddie Blazonczyk. Both were highly influenced by the style of Li'l Wally Jagiello, a polka performer of an earlier generation. Another influential early pioneer of Chicago-style polkas was Marion Lush who has been called the "Golden Voice" of polkas due to his distinctive vocal stylings. Blazonczyk was the leader of a band called the Versatones, who released over 50 albums. Gomulka was a member of the Versatones until 1980 when he formed his own band, the Chicago Push. Some other popular modern Chicago-style polka bands include Crusade, the Polka Family, the Dynatones, and Toledo Polka Motion. An important venue for live performances of polka music was Club 505 at 13505 S Brainard Ave in the Hegewisch neighborhood on the Southeast side of Chicago. A live broadcast from Club 505 from 1959 can be heard on YouTube.
Eastern-style polka is similar to Chicago style but is played at a faster tempo, usually includes a bigger section of horns and reeds, and is connected to big-band era music rather than rock-and-roll. The most popular Eastern-style performer is Jimmy Sturr, winner of 15 Grammy Awards in the polka category. Other important Eastern-style performers include Frank Wojnarowski, Bernie Witkowski, Walt Solek, Larry Chesky, Ray Henry, and the Connecticut Twins.

Slovenian-American

The Slovenian style or Cleveland style is generally played at a smoother tempo and features different instrumentation. Whereas the Polish style utilizes trumpets and concertinas, the main melody instruments in the Slovenian band are the accordion and tenor saxophone. A diatonic accordion or "button box" is sometimes used instead of the piano accordion or chromatic accordion and offers a different sound. The Slovenian style also adds a banjo or guitar to bolster the rhythm section. The epicenter of the Slovenian-American style of polka is undoubtedly Cleveland and northeast Ohio, but it is also popular in Pennsylvania and in many other cities in the Great Lakes region. The most influential figure in Slovenian-American polka is Frankie Yankovic, who helped "Americanize" the Slovenian polka and worked for years to popularize it, appearing throughout the country and even performing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He was crowned America's Polka King in Milwaukee in 1948. Slavko Avsenik was another important musician in the development the style, an accordion player from Slovenia who helped bridge the Slovenian and American polka worlds. Other important Slovenian-style pioneers include Johnny Pecon, Lou Trebar, Johnny Vadnal, Kenny Bass, Louis Bashel and Eddie Habat. Roger Bright was a prominent accordion player from New Glarus, Wisconsin who fused Slovenian-style polka with Swiss melodic influences. The torchbearers of Slovenian-American or "Cleveland-Style" polka today include Jeff Pecon, Joey Tomsick, Don Wojtila, Eddie Rodick, Eddie Klancnik, LynnMarie Hrovat and Alex Meixner. Like their Polish counterparts, these bands have also expanded their repertoire over the years to include a variety of styles of music including polkas, waltzes, American standards, Latin dances, line dances, and rock 'n roll.

German-American

German-American bands sometimes resist being termed "polka bands" because they perform not only polkas but also waltzes, schottisches, laendlers, and various other ethnic forms of music. They prefer the term "old-time," but it is not to be confused with traditional American old-time music. Some of the modern day German-American bands have even been known to incorporate country & western and/or rock & roll into their repertoire. Their style is also sometimes known as "Dutchmen," a name derived from a band named The Six Fat Dutchmen. This is a contrast to Polish-American and Slovenian-American bands, which generally do not object to the term "polka band". German-American bands are also comparatively more traditional than the Slavic genres, with less modern American influence in their albums. Because of this, their recordings are much rarer and harder to come by than recordings of Slavic-style performers. The German-American sound is often described with the term "oom-pa-pa" and is characterized by an emphasis on brass, accompanied by drums and reed instruments. German-American style bands perform primarily in the Upper Midwest and in the so-called "polka belt" of North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. One important German-American performer is Lawrence Welk, who began his career as a band leader in South Dakota with an ethnic German-style ensemble called Welk's Novelty Orchestra. He later added more popular music to his band's repertoire, which enabled him to spread the polka throughout America by way of his famous television show. Other important modern German-American bands include the Hoolerie Dutchmen, the Jolly Swiss Boys, Happy Hans, and the Jerry Schneider Band.