This story is featured in Episode 51.
They met “Vlesie” (W lesie) which in Polish means “in the woods” in 2015 – playing music in a Canadian forest, at the Folk Camp organized by Kosa Kolektiv. They loved each other’s music, and created a unique combination of Eastern and Northern European styles. Their leader is a Polish ethnomusicologist Ewelina Ferenc, an experienced folk musician and a world music singer who has sung in about 20 languages – who came to Canada from Poland in 2015. Ewelina is an active member of the Toronto grassroots community, organizing many different cultural events, and is involved in many projects.
She has attracted musicians with Finnish, Irish, Algerian roots, who now play in the same group called Polky Village Band charming Canadians with traditional Polish folk music, songs and dances spanning different regions.
Polky Village Band takes you on a musical journey to Poland, the melting pot of Eastern and Central Europe, in which you hear Carpathian, Jewish, Gypsy, Ukrainian, Slovak and Hungarian influences.
Members:
Ewelina Ferenc – lead vocal, frame drum, tapan
Alicja Stasiuk – vocals
Georgia Hathaway – fiddle, vocals
Matti Palonen – cello, hammer dulcimer, whistles, mandolin, vocals
Tristan Murphy – accordion, pocket trumpet, vocals
Polky Village band played at the concert at the Fregata Restaurant in Mississauga organized to contribute to the 26th global fundraising campaign of the organization we featured in Episode 50 – the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity.