POLKA PATTER
Mark Chmielewski of the Chmielewski
Funtime Band from Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota, passed away on January
11, 2010, at the age of 48. He was an accomplished musician,
businessman and devoted father who will be missed very much.
The Polkaholics were named the Best
Polka Entertainers at the Chicago Music Award ceremony on January
24, 2010. Don Hedeker, bandleader, said, "Thanks to all of you who
voted for us and supported our case.
Father Henry Pozdol, former chaplain of
the International Polka Association (IPA) died on January 29, 2010.
He was also Pastor Emeritus of St. Joseph Church in Summit,
Illinois, where he was waked.
The "Zembruski Polish Eagle Show" was
started by well known band leader Victor Zembruski and his wife
Sophie in 1935. In 1969 Sophie took over the program on her own
until last year when health issues forced her to turn over the mike
to her daughter, Lauretta. The program is in its 75th year of
continued broadcasting on commercial radio, which may make it the
longest running polka show on radio, with Sophie being involved in
74 of those years. She is celebrating her 92ond birthday this April.
The change made in Grammy categories
did not bode well for polka bands. The winner in the Best
Traditional Folk Music category was Louden Wainwright III, shutting
Jimmy Sturr & his Orchestra out of an award for the first time in
many years.
The Eos Music Corporation remains
anxious to add polka to its background music library. It’s Music
Procurement Specialist, Fred Vinson, may be contacted at
fvinson@eosmusic.com or
1-800-741-2682. The company’s licensing agreement can be found
online at
http://www.eosmusic.com/agreement.pdf.
Planning for the 49th year of
contemporary Dyngus Day in America is in high gear in Buffalo. Over
10 new venues will join the over 30 existing venues in Western New
York. New locations are looking for polka acts and many of them want
to start music at noon on Monday, April 5, 2010. Visit
http://www.dyngusdaybuffalo.com for details or send band
information pack to Dyngus Day Buffalo, 244 Potters Road, Buffalo,
NY 14220.
Looking for a list of Dana recordings
and have yet to find one? A list has been posted at a previously
defunct website, so if anyone wants to check it out, it is at
http://txteldata.com. Albums
cannot be ordered directly from the site, but a correct title may
help find one elsewhere.
January was a difficult month for the
family of Stas Bulanda, leader of the Old School Revue, but the
devotion of his fans may have helped to lighten the pain of loss.
Stas passed away early in the month and his mother died on January
7, 2010. Numerous radio and live tributes remembered the popular
polka star.