read more on NOWNESS : www.nowness.com/story/tegie-chlopy-gasacki-polka Tęgie Chłopy „Gąsacki” written & directed: Tomasz Knittel cinematography & script collaboration: Nicolas Villegas art direction: Alicja Patyniak editing: Kuba Tomaszewicz gaffer & secound unit: Grzegorz Myjkowski costumes: Alicja Patyniak, Joanna Wiedro make-up: Joanna Wiedro, Alicja Patyniak post & color: Jarek Sterczewski graphic: Szymon Tomiło sound recording: Aleksandra Chciuk sound design: Radek Ochnio camera: Fastmedia light: Piramida Films and Digital Sputnik photos: Tomasz Ogrodowczyk production assistant: Marcin Żytomisrki, Michał Maziarz production menager: Dorota Murzynowska starring: Stanisław Witkowski, Dorota Murzynowska, Ewa Grochowska, Maniucha Bikont, Helena Skrzypczak, Michał Żak, Michał Maziarz, Marcin Żytomisrki, Maciej Pawluczuk, Szczepan Pospieszalski, Mateusz Kowalski, Paweł Skowroński big thanks: Joanna Zińczuk, Marek Bystrosz, Krzysztof Godziejewski, Jolanta i Piotr Czerwcowie, Kasia i Robert Skowrońscy, Piotr Regliński, mieszkańcy Sędka, strażacy z OSP Sędek, Grzegorz Maziarz, Krzysztof Janus, Sylwia Cygan, Kaja Stępkowska, Krzysztof Knittel, Łukasz Grudziński about Tęgie Chłopy: "Long long ago, though perhaps not so terribly long indeed, while sizing up the hills and woods in Kielce region, and seeking new adventures, we stumbled on a unique musical world – the chants and rants, songs and polkas, played and sung by musicians from such places as Łagów and Opatów. A man by the name of Stanisław Witkowski became a key figure in our story, a clarinetist and saxophonist from Opatów with a seemingly limitless repertoire of old traditional tunes. An extraordinary musician, and a warm-hearted man, in his youth he was the force behind the Witkowski Brothers Band whose names are legend in the local annals. Stanisław Witkowski soon became our guide through the microcosm that is the musical world of the Kielce region. We began to play together, calling ourselves Tęgie Chłopy, frequenting dances, festivals, weddings, theatrical events and entertaining the crowds at the fair in Opatów. Because, after all, the most important thing for a musician is for his audience, his followers, to hear and appreciate his music. Our repeated meetings proved a source of joy on both sides. For us, on the one hand, as the impression grew of discovering an uncharted land, and for our maestro on the other, who found himself, quite unexpectedly, returning to a life of intensive music-making, the like of which had been so central to his life in earlier years. The adventure we got caught up in reached its climax during the summer at the Tabor Kielecki music festival in Sędek. The old music of this part of Poland sounded out once more, played now by the older masters and by their understudies. The dance floor glowed red, and collective mania swept over the several hundred local people and visiting dancers present in the hall. The musicians meanwhile bathed in the euphoria of their shared playing. CHŁOPY in technical terms, are a three-time dance melody generally sung, and are typical of the rural music of eastern Kielce region, also known locally as śpiwy or światówy. At one time, as well as being played for the dance, they would be sung while driving the cart, and on the way to weddings."

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