Festival Album - CD ROZSTAJE 2000 vol. 1
The title of the festival and the album on which the selection of folk songs from the 1st Małopolska Festival of Traditional Music (Krakow, August 1999) was held is symbolic. It is a symbol and a question about the place, role and future of traditional music in the civilization of the Third Millennium. Crossroads is a place where roads meet and diverge in different directions. The title describes the situation of Polish traditional music at the turn of the centuries and millennia. Crossroads of traditional music, crossroads of different cultures, or maybe a meeting place? The moment of the calendar breakthrough encourages a reflection on the role of tradition in our lives. We entered the 20th century still having the old folk culture around us every day. It was visible in villages, towns and even big cities. A custom, a festival, every occasion to experience and celebrate together could not happen without music that everyone could identify with and knew it from childhood; the music that was part of life, the music that was familiar. It was also a form of the people's expression, passed on through oral, generational transmission as a secret, magical knowledge of signs and symbols found in everyday and holiday life, telling us about the relationship between this life and nature, rooted in distant history. It was also an obvious and important part of the national culture, influencing this culture and art. It is enough to mention names such as Adam Mickiewicz, Fryderyk Chopin or Karol Szymanowski, for which it was a source of inspiration, the spirit from which they drew. There are also another names among contemporary creators of great importance, writers, musicians, composers and visual artists. The twentieth century, however, and its extremely rapid civilization changes were inevitable for the folk culture. The world dominated by modern technology and the Internet does not need beliefs, magic or playing old instruments anymore. Not every day, anyway. Nameless music with forgotten names of its creators, passed down from generation to generation through oral tradition, co-created over generations, has become a rare, dying good that must be retained in any way to make it last. Even in our memory. Even written in notes. Even on tapes and records. This former bond of the brotherhood of small communities – "every village has a different song" – as written by Oskar Kolberg – shows a way of communal identification through song and the style of music, present within even the smallest groups. It is a phenomenon that such a big number of songs and instrumental melodies from the Kolberg era and earlier have survived to our times. We are still in a fortunate situation that we can still listen to such old songs and sounds of instruments of authentic bands, whether in the countryside (very rarely) or at festivals. There are still a lot of them in Poland, and their number grows with the awareness of the importance of tradition and the need to protect it. "Rozstaje/Crossroads" and the music that was hosted at this competitive festival are precisely a manifestation of this nostalgia for the world that passes before our eyes, but still lasts; a world that is impossible to stop, even though you would like to do it. So it is good that a new place has been created on the map of these special monuments, where music sounds and where its creators can come, and that this place is Krakow, which as a city is all under protection, just as this music should be under protection.
Małopolska is quite a special, historical region, it consists of many smaller ethnographic areas, as well as national minorities, which have never been missing in Małopolska. That speaks very well of the organizers, that they proposed such an open formula of the festival in Krakow – the cultural capital of Europe in 2000. So the album includes Cracovians, Rock Highlanders from Podhale, Orawian Highlanders from Lipnica, there are Roma people and Lemkos, as well as Jewish music. There are young performers and elders, wedding singers reminding how they used to greet the guests, there are ballads, old instruments are played – heligonka, pipes, highlanders' zlobcoki by folk musicians from Małopolska. The special atmosphere of the concert and presentation of Małopolska music was created due to the lead of Jan Karpiel (that was recorded on the album), a great artist of Podhale – a musician, animator, recreator of several Podhale instruments, an expert in the history, tradition and art of Podhale and also parts of Małopolska. Most of the performers are folk artists playing and singing traditional music. Kapela z Radziszowa – a typical folk ensemble from Kraków, ensemble from Lipnica Wielka in Orawa and the Zakopane ensemble "Jutrzenka", Krakow singers, the heligonist Władysław Stach, the young Lemko singer Julia Doszna – they have recreated the world of old musical Małopolska. The competition was complemented by concerts of folk musicians and they were also included on the album. Thus, the album is also a meeting place for cultures and at least two generations of artists. New paths are represented by several performers of modern folk music, which is a new trend, that draws inspirations from tradition and gives hope for the continuation of this music, but in a slightly different form, perhaps more corresponding to the new reality of the 21st century. These are excellent bands: Kałe Bała of Teresa Mirga, Trebunie Tutki in the traditional setting, Się Gra – a group from Lublin specializing in Jewish music, Anna Kiełbusiewicz, as well as Muzykanci, organizers of the festival, combining traditional and original creativity in a simple and tasteful way. In the face of the unification of culture, the longing for this lost world returns. There is a curiosity about those cultural differences and the need for these differences, which is proved by the creation of an increasing number of events connected to local tradition and in reaching for music, songs, and instruments of the entire old community of Małopolska. We all need folk music. It will be needed even more when Poland will become a member of a united Europe. It is the part of the culture that will be beautifully unique and diversed. As unique and diversed is the music of the Rozstaje/Crossroads Festival on this album.
[Maria Baliszewska]
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ROZSTAJE/CROSSROADS 1999
Laureates of Małopolska Traditional Music Competition
Muzyka z Lipnicy Wielkiej - (Grand Prix of ROZSTAJE ‘99), the band of Eugeniusz Karkoszka presents old melodies from Górna Orawa region in the instrumental composition of three violins and basolia. The group is a two-time laureate of the Festival in Kazimierz Dolny on the Vistula and a multiple laureate of the Podhale Music Competition in Nowy Targ.
Bochnianie (1st Award of ROZSTAJE ‘99), they have been operating since 1993 at the Municipal House of Culture in Bochnia; the ensemble also won the 1st place at the Review of Folk Bands for Krakovian Wianek (in Szczurowa), released a cassette entitled "Na swojską nutę", containing works from Zabierzów Bocheński, from the area of Bochnia.
Jutrzenka - Orkiestra Pępka Świata (2nd Award of ROZSTAJE ‘99):
led by Krzysztof Trebunia-Tutka, a youth band from Zakopane performing melodies of the Skalne Podhale, mostly on traditional instruments: zlobcoki, basolia "eights"; awarded in Nowy Targ, Bukowsko, among others.
Kałe Bała (2nd Award of ROZSTAJE ‘99), a group of Roma musicians from Czarna Góra in Spisz, they perform traditional music and songs of Roma from the Polish-Slovak borderland; the group was inspired by and has been run since 1992 by Teresa Mirga.
Maria Dębska (Accolade for a solo singing of ROZSTAJE ‘99), a folk singer from Rudno, she performs traditional songs of the Western Krakow region; she's a laureate of many competitions and reviews, including ones in Niepołomice, Kryspinów and Przedbórz.
Julia Doszna (Accolade for a solo singing of ROZSTAJE ‘99), a Lemko singer from Łoś (Beskid Niski), performer of old Lemko songs; she recorded a cassette "Z kolędami po Karpatach", released in 1994 by the Towarzystwo Karpackie and a CD "Tam na Łemkowyni", released in 2000.
Barbara Kosobucka (Accolade for a solo singing of ROZSTAJE ‘99) - folk singer from Zalas near Krzeszowice; winner of many awards; she has been leading a singing group for 15 years.
Genowefa Krupa (Accolade for a solo singing of ROZSTAJE ‘99), a folk singer from Wola Batorska (near Niepołomice) performs ballads, lullabies and folk songs from Krakow region; winner of the 1st Prize at the Festival in Kazimierz on the Vistula.
Władysław Stach (Accolade for a solo play on heligonka of ROZSTAJE ‘99), a heligonist from Tęgoborz; a member of a group that has been operating for four years and performs chants, ritual songs and regional customs.
Grupa Śpiewacza z Tęgoborza was founded in 1995 and operates at the Circle of Rural Housewives. Band members take part in competitions and perform at all commune celebrations. They perform chants, ritual songs and present regional customs.
Grupa Śpiewacza z Rudna has been meeting for twenty years in the village common room in Rudno under the patronage of the Krzeszowice Cultural Center. The group performs songs, chants and folk customs of the area of Rudno; it is also known for theater presentations based on local customs and rituals. The group has been awarded many times at festivals promoting traditional culture, including in Niepołomice, Bukowina Tatrzańska and Wiśniowa.
Franciszka Tumidajewicz, a folk singer, storyteller, sculptor and painter from Wójtowa (near Sośniny), director of the children's band Sosenki from Wójtowa. Her repertoire includes funeral songs and wedding chants.
Bartek Wilczek, a violinist - primist, winner of numerous awards and accolades at traditional music competitions (including in Czarny Dunajec, Nowy Targ, Bukowina Tatrzańska and Bukowsko).
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Track listing:
1. Jan Karpiel Bułecka - Krzesnomatki... / 1.18
2. Grupa Śpiewacza z Tęgoborza - Siadaj, siadaj... / 3.31
3. Jan Karpiel Bułecka - Posłuchajcie ludzie... / 0.46
4. Grupa Śpiewacza z Rudna - A ty ptasku... / 1.59
5. Maria Dębska (Accolade for a solo singing) - Jadom, jadom ułani... / 2.51
6. Bochnianie (1st Award) - Poznać ci to, poznać... / 1.58
7. Genowefa Krupa (Accolade for a solo singing) -
Plewiła baba barwieniec... / 2.57
8. Jan Karpiel Bułecka - o cysorzu / 0.55
9. Franciszka Tumidajewicz -
Zakwitła róża.../Pomalutku ją ta rozbierajcie... / 1.52
10. Jan Karpiel Bułecka - o Świentym Ojcu / 0.32
11. Kapela z Radziszowa - Sztajer / 1.13
12. Jan Karpiel Bułecka - o straseniu bab / 0.18
13. Barbara Kosobucka (Accolade for a solo singing) -
Jesce ino, ino dziś / 1.48
14. Władysław Stach (Accolade for a solo play on heligonka) - Polka / 1.37
15. Julia Doszna (Accolade for a solo singing) - Wszytky lude... / 2.44
16. Julia Doszna - Tam na hori... / 2.08
17. Trebunie Tutki -
Pierso godzina (from CD Saga, F.F. Folk - Bogdan Lenda) / 2.37
18. Bartek Wilczek (violin) - nuty Skalnego Podhala / 1.22
19. Jan Karpiel Bułecka - o młodzieży podhalańskiej / 0.39
20. Jutrzenka - Orkiestra Pępka Świata (2nd Award) -
Ej, cyjas to nucicka... / 2.06
21. Jan Karpiel Bułecka - o Orawie / 1.37
22. Muzyka z Lipnicy Wielkiej (Grand Prix) -
Czardasz wolarski / 1.09
23. Muzyka z Lipnicy Wielkiej - Nuty moje, nuty / 1.46
24. Jan Karpiel Bułecka - o Romak ze Śpisa i nie tylko / 1.05
25. Kałe Bała (2nd Award) - Lulodiori / 1.50
26. Jan Karpiel Bułecka - o dzbanku / 0.26
27. Teresa Mirga - Tu na row (lyrics and music by Teresa Mirga) / 3.56
28. Kałe Bała - Sar o Roma trajen [Ederlezi]
(lyrics by Teresa Mirga, music: trad.) / 3.21
29. Anna Kiełbusiewicz - Kany ześ ty moja matko... / 3.05
30. Się Gra - Taniec chasydzki / 4.17
31. Muzykanci - Olahos (dance melody from Transylvania) / 3.18
32. Muzykanci - Pieśń weselna / 2.35
Jan Słowiński Publishing House
Zakopane - Kraków 2000
mastering: Aleksander Wilk
cover: "Ptaki" ["Birds"] - a fragment of the painting of Piotr Klamerus
graphics: Advertising Agency "Po Godzinach"
production support:
Mediasat Poland
TOProduction - Kompania Artystyczno-Promocyjna
Radio Kraków