The creators’ idea, aiming to merge two seemingly distant traditions—rooted American Blues and the mysticism of Slavic wanderers, the Dziady—creatively embraces a form of cultural ecumenism, opening the way to a new perspective on both native American music and the Slavic heritage of Polish Romanticism.
The origins of blues can be traced to work songs from the era of African-American slavery, street vendors’ calls, lullabies of mothers and caretakers, tales of vagabonds, beggars’ laments, and religious gospel songs.
Almost the same sources can be identified when exploring the roots of the Slavic “road song,” such as the Dziady songs—or more broadly, the whole tradition of wandering singers.
Blues was often played for dancing, with a single piece performed as long as people kept dancing. A blues song could last over ten minutes, with lyrics composed of many verses—often improvised by performers—and most were transmitted orally rather than written down. Similarly, in the Dziady tradition, many songs (and sung stories) were based on dance melodies (polonaise, mazurka), and like the blues, most lyrics were passed down orally, giving rise to multiple versions of the same song or story.
Particularly interesting in this context are the so-called news songs, as well as melodies and lyrics extracted from hundreds of 19th-century records by ethnographer Oskar Kolberg, and the migration of folk themes into poetry and Romantic literature.
Jacek Hałas (vocals, hurdy-gurdy, accordion)
Jarosław Kaczmarek (storytelling, guitar)
Jacek Hałas / Musician (hurdy-gurdy, accordion, shepherd flutes, drumla, piano), singer, dancer, composer. Co-founder of many musical, artistic, and theatrical projects. Active in concert, workshop, and educational activities. Studies the tradition of the Dziady/wandering singers and performs Dziady songs on the hurdy-gurdy.
Jarosław Kaczmarek / Warsaw-based storyteller, co-founder of the Storytellers Association Studnia O. As an individual creator, he organizes projects centered on the art of storytelling. Cultural animator and author, he leads workshops for children, youth, and adults. He also tells stories through song, composing music for his own texts. Plays guitar and leads the band “Księżycowa Kapela.”
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YT https://youtu.be/HT_6sfHk4jw?si=_H9WD9ynXqcQMcBl
