OberTany

Zawierucha are a new Polish folk band whose name translates as ‘Turmoil/Storm’. With two violins, double bass and a drum kit, they’re not shaking things up as much as their name suggests, but they are certainly giving new life to dance tunes – mazurka, oberek, kujawiak and a comical fast romp called ‘Jealousy – Cossack in a Troika’.

The main point of interest for outside observers of Polish music will probably be that one of the fiddlers is Kacper Malisz of Kapela Maliszów, the family band who have been such a success at festivals around the world. Perhaps it’s his notion of pushing at the boundaries to give the tradition a contemporary twist without cheapening it which makes this record so successful. While I’m not a lover of drums kits, the sensitive playing of drummer Kamil Siciak also gives this record a non-traditional feel. Th e same spirit is included in a video the band made with dancer Piotr Zgorzelski of the opening track of this album, ‘Wiwat Fortuna’ (view the video here: www.bit.ly/WiwatFortuna). Every one of the ten tracks on this release has its own identity, its own hook and own attractions. And they defiantly resist the temptation to internationalise the music. In short, this is a new band worth attention that seem ready to demonstrate the attractions of Polish folk music worldwide.