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| Slovenia's Oberkrainer Polka Madel will make their first USA appearances in 2013 |
(EDITOR'S NOTE 4/22/12: Since this article was published, we have learned that the Oberkrainer Madels/Polka Punce have officially and abruptly disbanded. Read the details here: http://chicagoschlager.blogspot.com/2012/04/oberkrainer-madelspolka-punce-break-up.html)
Formed in 2001 the Slovenian girl group, the Oberkrainer Polka Madels (known in Slovenian as Polka Punce) have made quite a name for themselves with their distinctive sound which combines elements of volksmuzik, polka and pop.
The quintet, all aged between 19 and 22, have toured extensively, having performed throughout the German speaking world and as far afield as an international folk festival in Red China.
They have plans to hit several cities in the United States in 2013.
With three reasonably successful CDs under their belt they have two more under production for release in the coming year.
Maybe it's a function of the emphasis that the former communist Yugoslav regime put on classical music training, or perhaps its just a natural function of the musicality of the Slovenian people, but the Polka Madels are among a number of female performers from Slovenia who play their own instruments in conjunction with their formidable vocalizing.
Of the five girls, Eva Šolinc (trumpet, percussion and vocals), Ana Verhovsek (clarinet, saxophone and vocals) and Barbara Leber (baritone, bass guitar and vocals) have been with the group since its 2001 inception. In January 2010 they were joined by Teja Lampret (guitar and vocals) and Monika Osojnik (Styrian, accordion and keyboards).
They all have had formal musical training and are currently studying Music at the University of Maribor.
They have a dynamic sound, firmly grounded in their national traditions, and it will be fun to see them perform when they make their planned visit to the USA.
Here is one of the newer videos from the Oberkrainer Polkamädels - Cujte me cujte (Hear me, Hear):
Here they sing jointly with the boy group, Murtal Express--- and the end result is some of the nicest harmony that you have ever heard in a popular music setting Wo Musik erklingt (Where music is heard), which they performed at the 2010 Grand Prix der Volksmuzik-
4 comments:
HALLO!
There is a HUGE mistake in this text.
From all the members of POLKA MÄDELS there are only BARBARA LEBER and MONIKA OSOJNIK left.
EVA ŠOLINC plays with VESELE ŠTAJERKE / DIE LUSTIGEN STEIRERMÄDELS, TEJA LAMPRET plays in ÖSTERREICH and ANA VERHOVŠEK is no longer a member of POLKA MÄDELS, but she is the LEGAL OWNER of the name POLKA PUNCE.
So there are only 2 members left und Polka Mädels ist nicht mehr Polka Punce.
Danke schön.
Well then somebody had better tell the Madels to fix their own website, because that information appears right there:
"Eva Šolinc (Trompete, Schlagzeug und Gesang), Ana Verhovšek (Klarinette, Saxophon und Gesang) und Barbara Leber (Bariton, Kontrabas, Bassgitarre und Gesang) sind seit der ersten Stunde dabei. Seit Jänner 2010 sind auch Teja Lampret (Gitarre und Gesang) und Monika Osojnik (Steirische, Akkordeon und Keyboard) Teil der erfolreichen Besetzung."
So by your analysis, there is a HUGE mistake on their own website.
We've heard that the group was in a bit of a chaotic situation, but we had no idea that it was that bad.
Thanks for informing us.
I heard of this as well, from people who know some of the band members personally, although I do not know the specific stories that exist. On their facebook page with their german name 'Oberkrainer polka madels' they made a post in January in Slovenian, saying that the are looking for a trumpet player for "a" 5 female quintett. Some Slovenian websites also in January published stories about Vesele Stajerke's new band member, Eva the ex-trumpet player from Polka Punce. Speaking of, Vesele Stajerke (Happy Styrians) are also one of the most well known of the few Slovenian female-only folk-pop music groups, that started probably before Polka Punce could even say their first words. They might have well been the first female only group from Slovenia (as far as folk-pop/volksmusik goes) that all sang and played instruments.
As far as 'pop', 'volksmusik' and 'polka' in your description goes, it is indeed polkas and waltzes that they play, although it's not what generally considered 'polka' (in Europe at least, but I don't know about North America?), but rather Slovenian folk-pop music or 'oberkrainer' music, the name coined by German speaking people, which Slavko Avsenik and his Original Oberkrainer (ansambel bratov Avsenik - ensemble Avsenik brothers) from Slovenia started.
The song 'Cujte me cujte' is an original song by the Avsenik brothers from the 1950s, from one of their first Slovenian LPs 'Tam kjer murke cveto'. So, the 55+ year old 'Oberkrainer' sound isn't that distinctive, as far as folk-pop (or volksmusik) bands from Slovenia and Austria go. As a last note, since the girls from Polka Punce probably were only born around the time of Slovenia's declaration of independence from Yugoslavia, I highly doubt their skill has anything to do with any Yugoslav music regime, but then again I don't know - Eva's mother was a well known singer and musician from Gasperji/Jungen Oberkrainer who now has just started her own new band... right around the time of the Polka Punce's collapse.
Anyway, looks like they just finished on their jubilee year - 10th year as a band.
Maybe not that much of a big mistake on their website as they probably don't care, as they've ended.
I write too much. But gotta love this music and its interesting stories.
One of our friends in Carinthia said that the Polka Punce organization wasn't answering their phone or responding to emails, so it's obvious they are in a state of disarray.
As for how polka is defined in the US, it seems to cover a pretty large swath -- basically any Eastern or Central European music which incorporates an accordian and perhaps a tuba oom-pah sound -- is considered polka. "Rosamunde" has different words in the US and is called the "Beer Barrel Polka."
Thanks for all the background info on Polka Punce and their predecessors in the genre.
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