Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Cure for Studio Fatigue: Polka!

Randall asks: "How do you keep awake and concentrating during long work stretches?"

James Gurney: "First I try some yoga stretches, then I take a walk, and then I have a cup of coffee. If those don't work, I resort to polka. 


Here's the Finnish favorite Säkkijärvi polkka"), also called the "Karelian-Finnish Polka." (Link to YouTube)

As you listen to it, you have to turn up the volume, get up out of your chair, jump around a bit, and shake your hands around.

Helene Schjerfbeck (Finnish, 1862 – 1946) Dancing Shoes
The lyrics to the polka are about the young and the old dancing together to celebrate life under the open sky. The people are also sad that they lost some of their beloved forests to enemy invaders. Even the horses are "clenching their teeth and lamenting." But at least they have their polka, the song says.



The Swingle Singers also did a mysterious and lively a capella version. (Link to YouTube)
at

4 comments:

  1. RotM_81September 10, 2019 at 10:38 AM

    Thank you for sharing this, it made my morning much peppier. Nearly two hours later and I'm still listening to polka!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Virginia FhinnSeptember 10, 2019 at 3:50 PM

    Oh gawd... I'll reserve my opinion of polka, but refer you to Walter Ostanek for your next polka fix. The official "Polka King of Canada"

    ReplyDelete
  3. School of Botanical Art and IllustrationSeptember 10, 2019 at 5:17 PM

    I was so happy to read about how the Säkkijärven polkka affects you. This particular piece has a very specific place in the hearts of us Finnish people, makes you always smile.

    ReplyDelete
  4. sandra floodSeptember 17, 2019 at 12:32 PM

    Love the Helene piece!

    ReplyDelete

Due to a high level of spam we must moderate comments. Please identify yourself by name or social media handle so we know you're not a 'bot.'