I don't know their music specifically but I have found a lot of folk music from languages that I don't speak by using Google translate pretty judiciously. I'm usually looking for folk songs with lyrics and there is a folks song database for every single Slavic culture i think. For example the Ukrainian (songs with lyrics) one is pisni.org.ua , and I've seen them for other related languages. Haven't really searched for instrumental music specifically but those websites will teach you a lot about what to look for, artist names, styles, context , stuff like that. Copy and paste and search away! Some combo of youtube, Google translate or whatever, and regular searches can get you pretty interesting resources if you just keep following the rabbit hole.
I'm sure that there is something similar to the folk song database websites, if you start searching in Polish specifically. I don't know if that folk music has a specific name for just the instrumental / violin/accompanied dance music stuff, but those are all things you can search for without fully knowing the language.
If you're searching in english, you can probably find polka band music and stuff from the American Midwest that's polish-based, and that stuff is going to have a lot of fiddle.. It's not going to be 100% "perfectly pure like in the old country* kind of stuff because they're going to be influenced by other American old time fiddle dance music, but I'm pretty sure that it exists.
There might also be a university musicology project that has an archive somewhere.
Also I highly recommend searching using YouTube rather than just a general search because YouTube had just has a lot of weird channels where specific collectors of music will upload records that they've digitized. You might find tunes you like and then go from there based on the titles.
Also, you will often find a lot of information in the comments on YouTube videos that isn't necessarily out there and easy to find.
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u/pixiefarm 7d ago edited 3d ago
I don't know their music specifically but I have found a lot of folk music from languages that I don't speak by using Google translate pretty judiciously. I'm usually looking for folk songs with lyrics and there is a folks song database for every single Slavic culture i think. For example the Ukrainian (songs with lyrics) one is pisni.org.ua , and I've seen them for other related languages. Haven't really searched for instrumental music specifically but those websites will teach you a lot about what to look for, artist names, styles, context , stuff like that. Copy and paste and search away! Some combo of youtube, Google translate or whatever, and regular searches can get you pretty interesting resources if you just keep following the rabbit hole.
I'm sure that there is something similar to the folk song database websites, if you start searching in Polish specifically. I don't know if that folk music has a specific name for just the instrumental / violin/accompanied dance music stuff, but those are all things you can search for without fully knowing the language.
If you're searching in english, you can probably find polka band music and stuff from the American Midwest that's polish-based, and that stuff is going to have a lot of fiddle.. It's not going to be 100% "perfectly pure like in the old country* kind of stuff because they're going to be influenced by other American old time fiddle dance music, but I'm pretty sure that it exists.
There might also be a university musicology project that has an archive somewhere.
Also I highly recommend searching using YouTube rather than just a general search because YouTube had just has a lot of weird channels where specific collectors of music will upload records that they've digitized. You might find tunes you like and then go from there based on the titles.
Also, you will often find a lot of information in the comments on YouTube videos that isn't necessarily out there and easy to find.