Disco polo
Disco polo is a genre of popular dance music,[1][2][3] created in Poland in the 1980s. It was initially known as sidewalk music (Polish: muzyka chodnikowa)[4][5] or backyard music (Polish: muzyka podwórkowa).[6] This genre, a type of Polish urban folk music,[7] had great popularity in the 1990s, peaking in 1995–1997, then gradually declining in popularity through the early 21st century. The genre then had a resurgence in the winter of 2007. The Polish PWN dictionary defines the genre as a Polish variant of disco music, with simple melodies and often ribald lyrics.[8]
Disco polo
Characteristics[edit]
Classic disco polo songs are characterized by simple chord progressions[1] and melodies,[8] and take further influence from the steady rhythms found in folk music.[3] These are often accompanied by syncopated samples of drums, synthesizers and keyboard instruments.[3][9] The genre is dominated by compositions in the 4/4 time signature.[10] Lyrics are often sentimental and playful, written around themes of love and sometimes holidays.[5]
History[edit]
Roots of the genre[edit]
The genre originates from music played at weddings by bands with a repertoire of Polish folk music and wedding songs. Later, electronic instruments were adopted over traditional acoustic instruments.[3] The most common lyrical themes included melodramatic lyrics about unrequited love.[5][11] The genre was additionally influenced by other popular music styles within Europe.
Pioneers of the genre include the band Bayer Full, which was founded on November 19, 1984, and Top One, formed in 1986.[5][12][13][14]
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, more bands emerged, such as Akcent, Atlantis, Boys, and Fanatic.[5] Blue Star, a record label in Reguły was the first official record label that published disco polo in Poland.[5] This new style of music was called muzyka chodnikowa (lit. 'sidewalk music') by label owner Sławomir Skręta, which was a reference to the main means of distribution: records were sold primarily in stalls on streets and bazaars.[15] Scenes were centered in Białystok and other cities in the province of Podlaskie, with regional scenes in Żyrardów and Sochaczew.[5] "Mydełko Fa" ('The Fa Soap'), recorded in 1991 by Marek Kondrat and Marlena Drozdowska, was created as a parody of the genre, but ended up popularising it further.[5]
Sidewalk music was played at country picnics, county depots, weddings, as well as political campaigns for Polish parliament and president. Former President Aleksander Kwaśniewski is a notable example of a politician who used disco polo during his presidential campaign.[11]
From the 1990s to 2002[edit]
Skręta coined the name disco polo in 1993, taking influence from the name Italo disco.[5][11][16] The name caught on and replaced sidewalk music. On February 29, 1992, a TVP1 broadcast dedicated to disco polo named Gala Piosenki Chodnikowej i Popularnej ('Gala of Sidewalk and Popular Songs') was held.[5]
The genre was extensively marketed by the Polsat TV station, which produced its own disco polo hit lists for several TV shows: Disco Relax (which premiered on December 4, 1994[17]) and Disco Polo Live (which premiered February 3, 1996 on the network[18]). The genre also found its way onto Radio Eska[5] and Polonia 1, a network of local stations in urban areas, as well as TV Polonia. It was considered a symbol of kitsch and primitivism by the mainstream media.
Bands and singers used disco polo during election campaigns. Traditional instruments came to be replaced by keyboards later in the 1990s, which contributed to a slight change in style, making the songs more akin to Eurodance. Artists also started mixing the genre with other musical genres such as dance music, house music, and techno.[5][11]
TVP1 aired a disco polo program entitled Karnawałowa Gala Disco Polo ('Carnival Gala Disco Polo') on December 31, 1995.[19][20]
In 1996, Maria Zmarz-Koczanowicz and Michał Arabudzkii directed a documentary film called Bara Bara, which explored the disco polo trend. It was aired in the same year on TVP1.[21] On April 24, 1998, the film Kochaj i rób co chcesz ('Love and do what you want') was released by Robert Gliński, in which the main character leaves to play disco polo on the piano in a club.[22]
The trend receded between 1997 and 2001.[23][5][19] A sharp decline in sales of disco polo cassettes and CDs ensued due to the growth of Polish and foreign pop music,[19] rock, hip hop,[11] dance,[19] and electronic music. The genre's airplay on Radio Eska, Polonia 1 and TV Polonia diminished. In late August 2002, Polsat TV cancelled Disco Relax and Disco Polo Live,[24] leaving many bands jobless.[25] Some observers believe that the genre's drastic decline in popularity was in part caused by the emigration of disco polo musicians to the United States, where some artists continued their work.