Polish Polka Words
All it takes is one musical round of “Beer Barrel Polka,” and you’ll be thrilled to discover the fun of the polka and of Polish polka words. It’d be easy to say the polka was enjoying a revival, but to be honest, it’s never gone out of style, particularly in central European communities, and among the descendants of those emigres to the United States. In fact, polkas are extremely popular among those who aren’t Polish, which may be a good thing. The dance and music didn’t originate in Poland at all!
The Polka didn’t start in Poland, which many people might naturally believe, but it had its roots in the Bohemian dance tradition of Europe. The word “polka” actually means “Polish woman” in that language, but it wasn’t ascribed to the dance of the same name by the Poles. It was the Czechs who in the 1830s came up the word Polka, a corruption of their own word, “polska,” meaning a young Polish girl.
The same word in Czech also means “half,” perhaps a reference to the quick half steps many polkas utilize.
Many of the best known polkas were written by Johann Strauss, and later, by his son. The music and the dance intertwined, and by the later nineteenth century, the polka had emigrated to the United States.
Polkas were considered to be folk music, native to the Czechs, Bohemians, and finally, the Poles. In the United States, the polka caught on wildly, and was considered to be a source of identification, pride, and fun for Americans of German, Czech, and Polish origin. Interestingly, Poles from Poland didn’t consider the polka ever to be a native dance or music for them; it became so, though, for working class Americans of Polish descent.
Polka Styles
The polka to this day is an incredibly popular folk dance, enjoyed by many people in the Midwest, particularly in the Chicago area, and in cities along the Eastern seaboard. There are many variations of polka styles in dance and music.
Many of the variations in polka music are dependent upon the type of instruments in the band playing the polka. An important musical instrument in all polkas is the accordion, without which (in the United States, at least) there wouldn’t be a polka!
The musician who handles the accordion, or in some cases, the concertina, is called the “boxman.”
One such is the Push Polka, which is considered to be a Chicago-area polka. These bands are extremely jazzy, adding concertinas and accordions, as well as rhythmic drums to the mix. It’s the buttons on the accordions (the “push” in the push polka) and the bleating of the bellows that gives this style of polka its name.
It’s frequently considered to have a connection to rock and roll style music.
Another style is called “Cleveland style,” or Slovenian style polkas, expressions used with polish polka words. These bands utilize drums, a bass guitar, a saxophone, and at least two accordions for their musical effect.
On the east coast, the “Eastern style” of polka found a home. it’s generally a polka played at a fast tempo, of as much as 144 beats per minute. This type of polka music is rooted in the music of the Big Band era.
Polish Polka Words
Yet another polka style is called the "Honky." It’s a polka that uses slower tempos than traditional polkas, and with different instruments.
An "Oberek" is a style of polka dancing, done in 3/4 time. It was quickly adopted by polka musicians and dancers at the turn of the twentieth century, and remains popular in polka circles.
There are other styles of polka music that aren’t Polish at all. German, Czech, and even Mexican style polka bands exist, and there is a large polka continent in Ireland! Polish polka words abound, no matter where you go.
In the United States, there is an entire polka subculture that celebrates the music and dance in regional polka festivals. These gatherings, which can last several days, feature live polka bands, polish food, parades, masses, and of course, polka dancing.