'Polka Is No Joke To Us'

Thanks to Rowwen Hèze (a Dutch polka/Tex Mex band singing in the local Northern Limburg dialect, ed.) we know that polka is not just stale ethnic music for old folk's clubs or moustachioed Tyroleans in Lederhosen. From The USA, Texan polka rockers Brave Combo work to emancipate the originally Eastern European dance music. "Polka has everything going for it to become the new, hip trend."

The 'Enlightenment' in his life, that is what Carl Finch calls the moment when he discovered the polka. Twenty-five years ago, in the bargain bins of a record store in his hometown Denton, Texas, he bought his first 'ethnic' record with Tex Mex music. "I was desperately looking for new music, the disco and punk rages just depressed me. (laughing) Then God gave me the polka and I saw the light."

The Texan gives up his job as a DJ in a local country bar and in 1979 he forms Brave Combo, a group of friends that dedicate themselves to playing polkas and waltzes in the style of rock 'n' roll. Finch brought together a clarinettist, a drummer and a bass player, and took care of the songwriting, the vocals, accordion and guitar himself.

In the meantime, the band with seventeen records under their belt have become a polka authority, although they slowly broadened their repertoire to include Latin, muzak, folk and ska. They gained international recognition with their polka adaptations of classics like Purple Haze (The Hendrix Polka), The Doors' People Are Strange and In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (Iron Butterfly). After having been nominated for a Grammy as 'Best Polka Band' twice in their own country, the group won the prestigious music award for their CD Polkasonic early this year. Finch was honoured, but also surprised, as his 'rock outfit' beat the famous polka king Jimmy Sturr.

Dead serious

In their own country, Brave Combo go down really well with German, Czech, Polish and Mexican immigrants, but also score big with the 'indigenous' polka audience of Texas, the American cradle of the originally Polish/Bohemian party music. "America is the land of polka", says Finch, "we have thousands of polka shows on the radio and television and countless polka festivals." But the big difference with Europe is that Americans are dead serious about the style of music. "The audience knows exactly how to dance to which style of polka." Just as in America, Brave Combo's European live shows are guaranteed to be fast and furious fun. Finch feels sorry, however, that people sometimes make fun of the music. "Polka is mainly a novelty over here. We are seen as a parody, which is sad. Polka is no joke to us."

Carefree attitude

Still, polka is being taken more and more seriously. Just as with reggae, Cajun or Latin, the Texan polkaholic believes that it is only a matter of time before the style breaks through to a mainstream audience. "Polka has everything going for it to become the new, hip trend. It is music without pretence, with the rawness of rock and the carefree attitude of dance. There is nothing like its tension and release."