krakovia sound
Funk and disco music were incredibly popular at the beginning of the 1970s' communist Poland. These Western rhythms came ashore on the Baltic cost and then became firmly rooted in inland cities mostly. Krakow was the epicentre of what became to be known as the Crakow Zdrowy (Krakow Sound) phenomenon.
The Crakow Zdwory didn't last long but it was a very fertile movement. The revolutionary ingredients: black roots dance music, traditional Polish folk music, homemade synthesisers, cover versions in English, plagiarised songs... all of this mixed up with a dash of Polish nationalism and a sprinkle of catholic beliefs. It was as plain as the nose on your face that this Polish music recipe wouldn't last for very long. Contrary to what you might expect, the government didn't disapprove of the Krakow Zdwory movement and it was this precisely that set the anti-communist trade union movement against it. By the time the 80s kicked in, the Krakow Zdwory had disappeared. Here's a little homage we'd like to dedicate to those heroes who, in those difficult times in not very comfortable surroundings, picked up (and made!) their instruments and filled the grey Poland of then, village by village, with their outlook on music, sex and fashion.
Lennes
Along with the other band Eddies, they were the most popular exponents of the Polish fans phenomenon. Both bands never got on. The fans, however, turned their backs on this band when rumours of a homosexual relationship between singer Mordecai Garocha and drummer Josef Lipska started circulating.
Eddies
The most commercial of the groups. They weren¡t the best group but their song "Funky Poland" is recognised as the hymn of the Krakow Sound. In Gdansk, in 1978, lead singer Kondrat lost an eye on stage on having been hit by a metal object thrown at him by a member of the shipbuilding union. This incident is said to symbolise the end of the Krakow sound movement.
Garvis
Iconic Krakow Sound group. Sweaty funk, basic but catchy. As musicians and songwriters, they were a very talented bunch. They had all they needed to be big stars in the West as well. Unfortunately, they were on their way to a festival in Bratislava when they suffered a terrible car crash. All of them but one were killed.
Ivan Henrys
Known as the Polish Rolling Stones. Catholics were not particularly fond of this group due to lead singer Adam Has' overly sexual style. The band split up when Has was caught with a girl under the age of eighteen. He crossed the Iron Curtain with the intention of becoming a star in the West. However, he never made it and ended up wandering the streets of Berlin aimlessly until he passed away.
The Gert Jonnys
Group headed by chubby Grzegorz Rokita. The Gert Jonnys could be slotted into gospel music. These were the idols of the Krakow catholic youth. Babies born in the year 1975 are still called the "I love Marysienka" generation after the group's most famous hit song that year, a ballad of the same name. Grzegorz Rokita is now a priest.
The Crakow Zdwory didn't last long but it was a very fertile movement. The revolutionary ingredients: black roots dance music, traditional Polish folk music, homemade synthesisers, cover versions in English, plagiarised songs... all of this mixed up with a dash of Polish nationalism and a sprinkle of catholic beliefs. It was as plain as the nose on your face that this Polish music recipe wouldn't last for very long. Contrary to what you might expect, the government didn't disapprove of the Krakow Zdwory movement and it was this precisely that set the anti-communist trade union movement against it. By the time the 80s kicked in, the Krakow Zdwory had disappeared. Here's a little homage we'd like to dedicate to those heroes who, in those difficult times in not very comfortable surroundings, picked up (and made!) their instruments and filled the grey Poland of then, village by village, with their outlook on music, sex and fashion.
Lennes
Along with the other band Eddies, they were the most popular exponents of the Polish fans phenomenon. Both bands never got on. The fans, however, turned their backs on this band when rumours of a homosexual relationship between singer Mordecai Garocha and drummer Josef Lipska started circulating.
Eddies
The most commercial of the groups. They weren¡t the best group but their song "Funky Poland" is recognised as the hymn of the Krakow Sound. In Gdansk, in 1978, lead singer Kondrat lost an eye on stage on having been hit by a metal object thrown at him by a member of the shipbuilding union. This incident is said to symbolise the end of the Krakow sound movement.
Garvis
Iconic Krakow Sound group. Sweaty funk, basic but catchy. As musicians and songwriters, they were a very talented bunch. They had all they needed to be big stars in the West as well. Unfortunately, they were on their way to a festival in Bratislava when they suffered a terrible car crash. All of them but one were killed.
Ivan Henrys
Known as the Polish Rolling Stones. Catholics were not particularly fond of this group due to lead singer Adam Has' overly sexual style. The band split up when Has was caught with a girl under the age of eighteen. He crossed the Iron Curtain with the intention of becoming a star in the West. However, he never made it and ended up wandering the streets of Berlin aimlessly until he passed away.
The Gert Jonnys
Group headed by chubby Grzegorz Rokita. The Gert Jonnys could be slotted into gospel music. These were the idols of the Krakow catholic youth. Babies born in the year 1975 are still called the "I love Marysienka" generation after the group's most famous hit song that year, a ballad of the same name. Grzegorz Rokita is now a priest.
