Mollie B to Play in Big D after Big E

By now, everyone in Texas knows that Mollie B is taping RFD-TV's Mollie B Polka Party in the Big E--Ennis, Texas--March 8-11. But did you know she'll also be performing with her band, Squeezebox, in the Big D? That's right. Just a few days after the filming frenzy, Mollie and her gang will head just a little farther north to play at the National Accordion Association (NAA) annual convention on Friday, March 16. The convention is being held March 14-17 at the Westin Park Central Hotel, 12720 Merit Drive Dallas, Texas 972-385-3000. This is the Association's 25th annual convention and they're doing it up big. In addition to the always stimulating workshops, jams, band camp and trade show, the convention has lined up some incredible accordionists to entertain--Murl Sanders, Seattle; Jamie Maschler, Seattle; Cory Pesaturo, Boston (child prodigy who was first person to major and graduate in accordion at the New England Conservatory of Music); Tatiana Semichasnaya, originally from Moscow and now living in Los Angeles; and Betty Jo Simon, Overland Park, Kansas. And, of course, Mollie B and Squeezebox from Ohio.

Now, while you may get a chance to see Squeezebox perform at the Ennis taping, Louise Kucera, a member of the NAA Convention Planning Committee, and accordionist with the Alpine Village Band in Dallas, is quick to point out it's just not enough. "You'll only get to see them perform for an hour. At the convention polka party, they'll be playing from 8 to 11:30 and you can dance the night away," says Louise, also dubbed da Polka Police.

So, if you're attending the Mollie B taping in Ennis, Louise invites you to stick around, take in some sights around Dallas and get ready to party with Squeezebox on March 16! Contact Louise at 972-226-7004 for more info and sightseeing tips!

Mollie B Picks Wes' Valentine

Congratulations to Wes Matus of Spring. Mollie B chose his poem as the winner of polkabeat.com’s Mollie B My Texas Valentine contest. Wes receives 2 tickets to one day of the RFD-TV taping in Ennis, March 8-11, along with a Squeezebox CD and 2 Mollie B Polka Party towels. And of course, he won a Polka On! shirt just for entering.

Wes began playing trumpet in Seymour, Texas, in the 5th grade and all through his high school years as well.  He was not really exposed to polka music until he came to the Houston area in the mid 1960s.  Wes played with the City Polka Boys (now known as Texas Sound Check) for 20+ years, from 1970 till 1991.  He is retired from playing music now.  He started out playing trumpet and wrote all the music for two trumpet parts.  He taught himself lead guitar so they could play more country and western music as time went on.  Now he enjoys listening to polka/waltz music and dancing to it, too!

Here’s Wes’ winning entry. There is a real sweet lady named Mollie, She can really play and sing polkas by golly. She's known as Mollie B and also a fantastic Emcee, She introduces polka bands on RFD/TV. And before these lines I finish, I have to let you know she's coming to the town of Ennis. The next big Polka Party's in the Lone Star State, With Texas polka bands the event will be sooooooo great!!

Here are a few of the other entries. When it's polka time in Texas with Mollie B Ennis will be as jolly as can be. We will welcome her as our valentine as we dance with our mate in this wonderful State. Yea, Polkabeat and Texas! Earline Okruhlik, Richmond

Roses are red, Violets are blue, Mollie B coming to Texas is so sweet, So we can all have fun and shuffle our feet! Julie Matus, Spring

My dancing shoes are on
And I'm ready to take a spin.
Hurry to Texas, Mollie B,
I can't wait to polka again! Marlene Satterwhite, Humble

Waltzes are great; Polkas are, too! Dancing with you Is my favorite to-do! Gwen Petersen, Plantersville

Mollie B how sweet thee bee,
Where the bluebonnets bloom,
There is no gloom,
Texas is the best place to be! Janie Sitka, Sugar Land

Mollie B is pretty Mollie B is sweet Mollie B plays music And Texas will get a treat

Mollie B is talented Mollie B is kind Mollie B plays all the instruments The best you can find

Mollie B is gracious She is as happy as she can be Someone who likes to play the squeezebox Also likes to squeeze Mollie B Jane Kosel, Katy

Mollie B is charming Mollie B is sweet Mollie B plays great music Texas is in for a treat Harold Kosel, Katy

Mollie B She is for me Mollie B is really neat and she has that great Polka Beat! Margaret Migl, Houston

Oh, how I love that Mollie B. I have seen her on TV! What a show she puts on! She makes me want to dance on and on! Darlene Polly, Houston

Meet the Moravians

The 6th Annual Ennis Czech Music Festival held on February 10 was a success in so many ways. Great bands. Family atmosphere. Yummy food. Cold beer. Excellent bartenders. Sokol Hall. One of my favorite parts of the festival was hearing The Moravians play. It’s a 7-piece band made up of high school and college guys. I love it that they are continuing the tradition of polka music. What’s more they attract a young audience that loves to dance! Oh, and they’re good! Excellent on the country tunes, too. I had a chance to visit via email with Matt Matous, one of the founders.

When did you form the band? In 2009. Adam, Josh and I had been considering it for a while and an opportunity arose for a talent show at the high school and they needed acts. So I signed us up and I talked to my brother, Zach, and a few family friends and we formed the band. We actually won first prize, which started our funds to purchase our own sound system with lots of help from my grandfather especially. The only member now who wasn’t in the original group is Kaleb Trojacek, but he joined a few months later. Kaleb has taught himself to play the accordion and what you heard the other night was due to two years of very devoted effort on his part and the love he shares for the heritage and the instrument.

Why did you name the band The Moravians? Because all of our ancestors migrated from the Moravia region of the Czech Republic.

Where have you played? We played this past fall at the Knights of Columbus in Dallas for an anniversary, the National Polka Festival in Ennis in the parade, the Ennis Czech Music Fest last year and this year, the St. John Parish Bazaar in Ennis, the KJT in Ennis for their annual Harvest Festival, and have also played in the Sokol bar in Ennis for jam sessions. We would of course love to play in other parts of Texas. [polkabeat.com will sponsor The Moravians appearance at the Texas Heritage Music and Dance Club free dance on Sunday, July 1, at Sengelmann Hall in Schulenburg. Headliner band is the Donnie Wavra Orchestra. This will be a great chance for Central Texas polka fans to hear this group.]

What’s your polka story? All of us grew up in Ennis and of course have attended countless dances growing up. We all go to the National Polka Festival every year and I have been to all 6 Czech Music Festivals. My grandmother is the one who actually taught me to dance when I was very little, we would practice in the kitchen Sunday mornings listening to the Johnny I. Krajca Polka Show (KBEC 1390 AM, Waxahachie). I know that the other members have very similar stories to mine, but we all grew up with the Czech heritage and traditions.

Are any of your parents musicians? The only one is our drummer Adam Rejcek. His grandfather was the founder of the Henry Rejcek Polka Band and his dad actually played trumpet and bass in the band along with his two uncles and grandfather many years ago. The rest of us are what you could call first generation musicians.

Who are some of your favorite polka bands? My personal favorite has always been the Vrazels. We actually took days off of school to go to Temple for their retirement dance. Other favorites include obviously Henry Rejcek's music, as well as Johnny Mensik's recording and more currently the Jodie Mikula Orchestra.

Which CDs are on your iPod/computer playlist? I actually am listening to Czech music right now as I am typing this email. I listen to it whenever I am at the computer doing homework. Every Sunday, I tune in online to listen to Johnny I. back home. I have all CDs from the Ennis bands, such as Czech and Then Some, Jodie Mikula, Jak se Do, Johnny Mensik, Henry Rejcek, a recording of the Lonestar Czechs and all the Vrazels CDs, of course. As I am typing this paragraph I actually listened to the Singing Mockingbird Waltz by the Vrazels, and the Happy Go Lucky Polka by the Mikulas. Basically I have all my music in a playlist and just let it run on shuffle. Just on my computer I have over 14 hours of Czech music so I never run out of stuff to listen to.

What are you Aggies majoring in? I am majoring in Aerospace Engineering and Adam is majoring in History. Even though our majors have nothing to do with music, we actually have a keyboard and an accordion here in our dorm and every so often play around. When I am not studying or other things I actually pull out sheet music and write songs. The melodies in our band’s music were passed down from the Henry Rejcek band and Kaleb and I have handwritten all the accompaniments and harmony by listening to recordings and applying a little bit of music theory. David Slovak (Czech and Then Some accordionist) has also helped us some by letting us play at Sokol jam sessions in Ennis.

Final thoughts? Any chance we get, we love to play and carry on our proud Czech heritage. Gig ’em!

We Might As Well Dance

I first heard about Rosie Giesie’s new book Keep Dancing in the Texas Legacy Czech Band weekly newsletter. What a great title for a book I thought. (Much shorter than Jimmy Brosch Remembers Twenty Legendary Texas Czech Polka Bands :-) 

The book tells the story of how Rosie and her husband, Gene, high school sweethearts originally from El Campo, learned how to continue living, laughing, working and enjoying the new life they created for themselves after the loss of all three of their sons. This book takes you through their childhood, dating, marriage, having three sons and then losing two sons to an inherited kidney disease and a son to complications from AIDS. Rosie hopes to encourage others who have lost loved ones not to give up on life but to enjoy and celebrate their memories and look forward to someday being reunited.

Bob Suttie put me in touch with Rosie, resulting in the following interview. I also had the privilege to meet Rosie at the Lodge 88 Czech Day. We traded books and autographs and commiserated about the book publishing process. I took the book home and read it that night. As a mother of two sons, my heart ached when Rosie lost her boys. By the end of the book, I was truly inspired by the Giesies’ strong marriage and ability to move forward as a tribute to their sons. Thanks Rosie for sharing your story.

PB: Why did you write the book?

RG: Actually, I didn’t want to write a book, but my cousin Father Gary Janak convinced me to do it. I didn’t think I could do it. I didn’t want to have to go through it again. I found a lot of the journals I had written over the years and helped get me started. After writing the book, I felt total healing. When I used to talk about the boys, I would tear up, but now I am at peace. 

PB: How long have you been dancing?

RG: Probably since I was about three-years-old. And I’m 71 now. My mother and dad would take my twin sister and I to polka dances, especially when the Pateks played since we’re related. Mother and dad would dance and put a quilt down for us to sleep. I’ve been dancing ever since. It’s alike a drug. I can be achy or not feeling well, but when I hear polka music, I get up and dance. 

PB: How do you know Bob Suttie?

RG: Bob is a good friend of ours. I’ve known him since he began playing in the Bobby Jones band. Bobby was supposed to play for our 50th wedding anniversary, but then he disappeared. We didn’t know what we were going to do, but then Bob started putting together the Legacy band and played at our anniversary.


Rosie and Gene split their time between homes in Markham, Texas; Sun City, Arizona; and Forest Lakes, Arizona. 

Rosie’s been on the book-signing circuit and has the following upcoming events:

Nov. 12 in El Campo at Heavenly Helpers

Nov. 19 in Bay City at Apostle Bookstore

Nov. 20 in El Campo at the KULP Polka Expo

Click here for more information and how to order the book.

Tune In To Roy Haag's Internet Radio Show

bohemiandutchmen.jpg

I had a chance to visit with Roy Haag (front row, left) recently to talk about the Bohemian Dutchmen’s performance at the International Accordion Festival in San Antonio a couple of weekends ago.

 

Roy said the variety of musical talent at the festival was amazing, especially the performance by the Alamo Angels Accordion Orchestra. The group consists of musicians with special needs. “I know Mary Archuleta, who co-founded Dreams Fulfilled Through Music in 2006 with her daughter, Kathryn,” Roy said. “I remember seeing Kathryn in front of the stage when she was a little girl blowing bubbles when Myron Floren would play at Wurstfest. Myron was her godfather.” 

 

Roy mentioned there was a nice article about the orchestra in the San Antonio paper. They also have a fundraiser coming up on Saturday, November 5--Musikfest German Concert and Dinner featuring the Blasmusik Texas All-State German Band and of course, the Alamo Angels. Click here to get more information. 

 

As for the Bohemian Dutchmen performances, Our first one was cut short by a long-winded emcee and our second performance on another stage was rained out. But we were proud to be there to represent German-Czech music,” Roy said.

 

In addition to the Bohemian Dutchmen, Roy is the leader of the Litt’l Fishermen. It’s been a busy Oktoberfest season for the bands, mostly for private functions.

 

Roy’s Internet radio shows are going strong as well. He is one of three DJs who presents a weekly show on www.NBGermanmusic.com. And he and his son-in-law, Donnie Howard, produce another weekly Czech-German show atwww.polkavariety.com. Roy says he has listeners from all over the world and his stateside audience is mostly from Wisconsin, Nebraska and Texas. And I was happy to hear that four out of the five DJs doing the shows mention polkabeat.com. Hmm, I need to find out who the holdout is and do some sweet talking!

 

Anyway, thank you Roy and Donnie for your support! “You’re welcome,” Roy said. “We really appreciate what you’re doing for Texas polka industry.”

Writer Shares Immigration Story Through Music

Virginia Mika Leech was five years old when her great-great grandmother died. But the stories about the family coming from the Czech lands to settle in Fayette County, Texas, lived on. The stories have inspired a unique presentation—a musical called Heart of the Tin Trunk. Written by Virginia, the production will be performed July 30 and 31, August 6 and 7 on the Concert Stage at Festival Hill in Round Top. 


I met Virginia and her husband, Ed, at the National Polka Festival in Ennis and arranged an interview.


What is the play about?

A battered old tin trunk, similar to the one my great-great grandmother had, reveals its hidden heart through Czech family treasures. The items inside, which include a quilt, picture and wedding dress, recall storied memories of perseverance, bravery and family spirit that bring adventure, discovery and love to a young Texas girl. The story takes you from today’s graduating students to the heart of 19th century Europe, where a young Czech mother faces a terrifying decision to take her children on a dangerous journey across an ocean in search of a new life in Texas. It’s a celebration of life and family filled with new and traditional songs, energetic dances, colorful characters, romance and the courageous Czech and German immigrants who made Central Texas their home.

 

You grew up in Fayette County, right?

I was born and raised in La Grange. I went to UT in Austin and taught journalism and English at Richland College and the University of Texas at Dallas. Ed and I lived in Dallas for 40 years. We moved back to La Grange in 2005 and have two daughters, Kelly McGill and Dana Wills, who live in Austin. Our three grandchildren are Austin, Allison and Conner.

 

When did you start working on the play?

I started writing it 17 years ago. When I retired, I took a writing class and at the second class meeting we were asked for an outline of the chapters for a book.  I had always been intrigued by my great grandmother’s story, so that became the focus of the book, which evolved into a play. 

 

Why a musical?

Because of the Czech people’s love for music, the musical stage is a natural medium. Music has appealed to all generations throughout time. Music is like the heartbeat of a people. It is their joy, their sorrow, their history. 

 

It truly is a story for all of Central Texas, isn’t it?

Yes, just the talk about the musical has created excitement—in our rural area and in the cities where extended families now live. Houston and San Antonio folks like to come back to the small towns to celebrate their heritage.

 

Who wrote the music?

Dick Smith, composer, musician, songwriter and singer formerly of Houston is lyricist and composer. I approached some polka musicians, but they couldn’t make the time commitment needed to compose the music and work with the production. Dick is a good friend and did a fantastic job. The music is a mix of his original compositions and of traditional music that you will recognize.

 

Who are the musicians?

Mary Ann Hatfield from La Grange is the music director and we have one of the classic Czech musicians, George Kudelka from Flatonia on drums; Duane Wavra on bass; Jim Holmes on accordian; Bobby Walla on clarinet; Mary Ann Hatfield on piano and Bonnye Karger on keyboard. 

 

What message are you trying to get across?

We should take pride in who we are, where we came from and those who made it possible for today's young people to excel. I encourage today's elders to pass on their stories and traditions and remind the contemporary youth of immigrant descendants to hold on to that past and history. It is in their heritage where character, morals and ethics lay. Texas pride is made up of so many histories and cultural influences, but certainly the music, hard work, joy and friendship of the Czech and German people is legendary.

 

What has it meant to you?

I have relished the time reviewing the stories, the history, the personalities and then weaving the facts with a story for the stage. For Ed and I, these retirement years have meant renaissance years. The theatre experience has been totally new and invigorating to us. The talented people whose hands and hearts have made this dream possible will always be with us. 

 

Tickets are only $20 and I look forward to attending with my family on August 6!

For more information and to order tickets, go to http://heartofthetintrunk.com/index.html

Symphony Musician Credits Vrazels For Love Of Trumpet

Alfred Vrazel has received countless letters and emails in his 55-year career as a polka DJ onKMIL 1330 AM in Cameron, but one he got recently really stood out. “I wanted to send this email to you to let you know about the impact you had on my life,” wrote Gary Schutza, Jr., principal trumpet player with the Kansas City Symphony, a position he has held for 30 years.

 

Gary went on to explain. “When I was very young (6 or 7), my parents would go to almost any dance that Vrazels played in central Texas.  They were usually in some hot, tin barn-like dance hall in a town I didn't know.  They would start dancing and leave us kids to fend for ourselves.  As I never knew anyone I generally spent my time up by the bandstand watching the band up close.  I watched the trumpet players particularly, how they used the different mutes and all.   I thought that to be a musician on stage playing for appreciative people, getting to wear a tuxedo and everything, would be the coolest thing in the world.”

 

Alfred says he was touched by the email. “The fact that he took the time to write me and knowing something you’ve done has had such an impact on someone. It just made my day,” he says. 

 

Vrazel recalls the band’s trumpet players in the late 1950s into early 1907s were Larry Oljenik and Julius Dubcak, who were featured on a few album recordings, including Golden Polkas on the TNT label.

 

Gary talked his parents (his mom was a Patak) into letting him play the trumpet. He played all through school and into college at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, eventually studying at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Gary’s first job after college in 1980 was playing first trumpet in the Omaha Symphony, then a year later he landed the first trumpet job in the KC Symphony.  

 

“I just wanted him to know that his band is the reason I’m playing trumpet,” Gary says. “It’s wonderful making music and getting paid to do it!”  

 

In addition to playing with the 75-piece symphony orchestra, Gary formed a brass quintet, featuring two trumpets, horn, trombone, and tuba. They’ve recorded one Christmas album and are working on a second. Gary has done all the arrangements for the second album and he says you can definitely hear the Czech music influence.  “I remember Christmas at my grandparents. My grandpa (Frank Marek) played the accordion. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was a polka, all the carols were polka,” he says. One of the quintet’s Christmas performances this past year was called Beer Barrel Carols. Hope it comes out on CD!

 

Gary’s favorite classical composer is, not surprisingly, Antonín Dvořák. Czech music is just gorgeous, he says. Gary comes back to Texas to visit his dad (Gary Sr.) and brother in Dallas, but not as often as he’d like. The symphony has 180 performances in 44 weeks of the year, including playing The Nutcracker up to 24 times during Christmas. “That’s a lot of Nutcrackers!” Gary says. The musicians get a break with eight weeks during the summer. 

 

Gary told Alfred in the email that he still enjoys listening to a good Czech polka. “Just sort of makes me smile, remembering a small 7-year-old boy leaning up against the bandstand hour after hour drinking it all in.  I've also become a composer and arranger here in Kansas City, and you'd be surprised to know how often a polka style creeps into my writing.  My friends in the orchestra ask me, ‘Why is there a polka in that arrangement?’  I just tell them that nothing beats a good polka for making people happy.”

 

No argument here, Gary!

Czech Polka Hour - Danny Zapletal Is On The Air

There’s a new polka show in cyberspace. The Danny Zapletal Czech Polka Hour premiered a couple of weeks ago on WRJQradio.com. The show originates in Ennis on a station based in Wisconsin and anybody in the world can listen to it. Isn’t the Internet great! The show runs from 1 to 2 PM every Saturday.

Danny, the bandleader of Czech and Then Some, approached WRJQ about doing a program that showcased Texas polka bands. “I have always wanted to do a polka show so I e-mailed the station’s owner. He was excited about it,” Danny says. 

 

If anyone knows Texas polka bands, it’s Danny. Before he and brother-in-law David Slovak founded CATS 13 years ago, he played with Harry Czarnek and the Texas Dutchmen. His dad, Raymond, had his own band called the Music Masters, then played for Harry and the Dutchmen until he retired in 1994. Danny’s dad was also one of the founders of the National Polka Festival in Ennis, now going on its 45th year. Danny has served as director of the festival for the past 20 years.

 

“I think the show is a good fit for the Wisconsin and Midwest listeners,” he says. “There are a lot of good bands in Texas and I want to get that across to them.” Danny says Wisconsin polka has a similar tempo to Texas, which is faster than polka in much of the Midwest. “Their polka culture is dying out. They don’t understand how we get young people involved,” he says. That sleepy, slow tempo could have something to do with it.

 

Danny enjoys doing the radio show and since he only has an hour keeps the chat to a minimum. He manages to play 18 songs in an hour, most by Texas bands with some Midwest bands mixed in. After all, he grew up listening to Ernie Kucera from Nebraska!

 

“I just enjoy the music so much,” Danny says. “Whenever I have a bad day I put on some polka music.” Who does he listen to? The playlist could include Ernie Kucera, Harry Czarnek, Six Fat Dutchmen, Dujka Brothers, Czechaholics, Hi Toppers and the Johnny Mensik band. That has the makings of a good radio show!

Meet Tom Plsek - Czech Texan Finds Success In Boston

When my son, Will, decided he wanted to go to Berklee College of Music in Boston, my first thought was, Wow, that’s far from home. Okay, my first thought was, How am I going to pay for that?!?!? Then, I thought about how far away Boston is from Houston (1,605 miles to be exact). New city, new school, new people. Who could he count on if he needed anything?


Will was non-plused about the whole thing. He’s always been laid back. He put on his cowboy boots, packed up his French horn and headed north. I was relieved to hear that the chair of the Brass Department was named Tom Plsek. A name like that, he must be Czech. Not only that, he was from Texas. It gets better, he was from West, Texas, home of Westfest. AND he played in a polka band, called The Highlighters, when he was in junior high and high school. Somehow I just felt a sense of relief that a fellow Czech-Texan was on the campus.


TomInIreland.jpg

Tom and Will became good friends. Will even worked in the Brass Department office for a couple of years. As Westfest rolled around this year, I thought of Tom and decided to interview him about growing up in one of the polka capitals of Texas. I wanted to get his insight into Westfest since he no doubt had gone to at least a few of the 34 held so far. “I have never been to Westfest,” he said in an e-mail. “Do you still want to talk to me?”


I told him yes. I still wanted to talk to him. And I’m glad I did. I found out about his polka roots. Just because he hadn’t been to Westfest doesn’t mean he didn’t know about the polka scene in his hometown known as the Czech Point of Central Texas.


“I grew up listening to polka on .78s and on the radio,” Tom recalls. “I thought the whole world was that way--doesn’t everyone listen to polka?” Pretty much everyone in West did and when Tom took up the trombone in seventh grade, he joined a polka band. Charles Nemec led the band called The Highlighters. (Charles went on to become president of West Bank & Trust and still has a polka band.) The Highlighters featured Charles on trumpet, TJ (as Tom was known then) on trombone along with accordion, drums, guitar, sax and clarinet. 


Some of Tom’s favorite polkas to play back then were Julida, Rain Rain, Red Raven and Barbara.  “In high school, we’d play at dance halls in West, Taylor and the Dallas area Friday, Saturday and even Sunday night. It was a family affair. Whole families would go to the dances. You’d sprinkle the wax on the dance floor and have a great time for the next four hours,” Tom says. “You could not sit or stand still when a polka was playing.  My grandmother would wear out several partners dancing during the course of an evening.”


He remembers the pay wasn’t too bad either for a polka band in the 1960s. “I could earn $25 a night, maybe $35 on New Year’s Eve.”


Tom went on to study music at TCU in Fort Worth and didn’t play any polka gigs there. In fact, he was wondering if he made the right choice majoring in music. “I didn’t see many jobs available and I didn’t want to be a high school band director.” He considered switching to pre-med until his dad offered some words of wisdom. “He told me, ‘As long as you have a roof over your head, food to eat and clothes to wear, then you should pursue your dream.’”


Tom joined the teaching staff of Berklee in 1972. He speaks Czech and has been to the Czech Republic about five times to perform and judge brass competitions. “Big and small towns there have brass bands and the polkas they play have a little different feel from what’s played in Texas. It’s not just 2/4 time. It has a little swing to it,” he says.  


There has not been a polka day at Berklee, although the school does sponsor an international folk festival. But Tom reports, the Czech students who come from Europe to Berklee want to play jazz, not polka. 


Tom is proud of his Czech heritage and polka roots. “My generation grew up to be American, but we should make an effort to maintain the Czech culture. That’s why events like Westfest are so important,” he says. “Because of polka, I am where I am today. Polka music gave me my first experience of being a commercial musician.”


So, oh yeah, why has he never made it to Westfest? “Because Berklee’s fall semester begins after Labor Day and I always have to be in Boston getting ready for that.” 



In our conversation, Tom mentioned a CD that he thinks any Texas polka fan would love. It features Texas-Czech music from 1929-1959 and can be found at Amazon.Click here to go directly to the page. 


He also mentioned Czech-American TV out of Chicago which covers festivals in all parts of this country and the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Click here to check out recent broadcasts.


How about the polka scene in Boston? Tom says they started a polka band a few years ago and it became so popular he couldn’t keep up with the number of gigs and his Berklee duties. 

Meet Mister John - Polka DJ Loves His Job

For almost 15 years, John Zavadil, or Mister John as he’s known to his listeners, has arrived at radio station KCTI-AM 1450 in Gonzales at 5:30 in the morning Monday through Friday. Although his polka show doesn’t come on until 9 AM, he prepares obits and gets weather information ready to broadcast. He encourages his listeners to send in their requests for his show by 8:30 AM. One recent Friday morning at 6:55, right when he was supposed to call the city’s public works department to get the latest weather report, all the radio station phone lines were blinking with polka requests. “I had to ask one of the other guys to use his cell phone to call about the weather while I took care of the incoming calls,” he says, noting that his listeners love their polka.


Erlene & John dance to the Shiner Hobos at the Watermelon Thump in Luling

Erlene & John dance to the Shiner Hobos at the Watermelon Thump in Luling

KCTI has been on the air since 1947 and polka programming has always been a part of the broadcast lineup. Mister John can remember tuning into KCTI back then as he cleaned out the chicken cages on his family’s farm. In addition to working on the farm, he played football at Texas Lutheran University and earned an education degree. He taught junior high school and coached sports for 30 years in Gonzales County. Mister John also served 10 years in the U.S. Army with the 36th Infantry Division NG, 141st Infantry at Fort Hood, Texas and Fort Polk, Louisiana. He still takes care of the 400-acre farm/ranch south of Gonzales which has been in the family for 100 years.

 

The station also carried Lee Roy Matocha’s show for 37 years in addition to its own polka shows. Mister John says in the unpredictable world of radio, never knowing if the station will be sold and a new format created, KCTI has remained loyal to its polka listeners.

 

“We have an excellent fan base because we are right in the middle of the most ethnic part of Texas. The southwest side is Polish, north and northeast is Czech and toward Seguin and New Braunfels, it’s mostly German, plus Hispanic in all the areas,” he says. Plus, in these days of computer technology, polka fans can listen to Mister John’s 1450 Polka Club on the Internet at www.kcti1450.com.

 

The station has amassed quite a large polka library and Mister John says it’s one of the few stations that still has turn tables. He begins his show with the Shiner Hobo Band’s rendition of “When It’s Polka Time in Texas.” At 10 AM, Jodie Mikula’s “Brothers and Sisters” hits the air waves. Joe Patek’s “Shiner Song” is played at 11 AM and Mister John signs off the show with the Majek’s “Let’s Have a Party.”

 

He speakers Czech, German and Spanish and likes to give his listeners a daily sprichwort and a přísloví, which are proverbs in German and Czech. It’s a tradition that started when a listener in Hamburg, Germany, began sending sprichworts to him, and still does. Mister John plays about 30 songs during his three-hour program and sometimes the requests outnumber the amount of time he has to play them all.

 

Most of the requests come in for the old-time bands, such as Joe Patek and Ray Krenek, but Mister John also gets quite a few requests for current bands such as the Red Ravens and the recently retired Vrazels. He’s had the pleasure of interviewing some polka greats who stopped by the studio for a visit, including Krenek, Jimmy Brosch, Chris Rybak, Roy Haag, Gordon Zunker, John Kaderli, Johnny Pfeil, Pearly "Oma" Sowell, Thomas Durnin, Dennis Svatek, Delores Petru Rivera, Rennie Guenther, Bob Blang, Ed Kadlecek, Cary Oswald, Leroy Rybak, John Holub Jr., Rex "Dutch" Schorre, Urban Kneupper, Edward Laitkep, A.J. Drabek and George Koudelka.

 

Mister John was twice nominated for Polka DJ of the Year by the Texas Polka Association and won the honor in 1996. (TPA, which no longer exists, was started by Julius Tupa.)

 

This polka DJ doesn’t just enjoy polka from behind a microphone. He and his bride of 13 years (in December), Erlene, frequent the festivals and church picnics.

 

Of course, one of the Zavadils’ favorites is the Come and Take It 16-block Parade and Festival in Gonzales. The 175th annual fest will be held October 1-3. The Shiner Hobo Band will play from 1 to 5 PM on Sunday. Mister John met Erlene at a dance at the Sealy Knights of Columbus Hall. “When I went to her house, I saw she had one room filled with LPs, cassette tapes and 8-track tapes of polka music. We just fit together like a puzzle,” he recalls.

 

I enjoyed my visit over the phone with Mister John and look forward to meeting him and Miss Erlene at a dance one day soon. He says he knew my dad. “Bill was a fine person. I always liked his positive attitude,” Mister John said.

 

I asked Mister John to send me a couple of the proverbs he has shared with his audience. He obliged by sending the following:

 

Sprichwort: "Hunde, die viel bellen, beissen nicht."  The dog that barks a lot does not bite.

 

Přísloví: "Prázdný sud se nejvice ozyva."  An empty barrel sounds the loudest.

 

My favorite from the ones he mentioned is the familiar Czech proverb,

Without work, there’s no kolache.

So true. No pivo either.

What's A Pout? Who Were Cyril & Methodius?

Pout means fun!

Several people have asked me why the annual celebration at Praha’s St. Mary’s Catholic Church is called the Praha Pout. Actually, the official name is Pražská Pout, or Prague Fair. Every year, thousands come to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption at St. Mary's Catholic Church and its founding in 1855. It’s always held on the feast day, August 15, no matter what day of the week it falls on. This year, the pout was held on a Sunday. That’s means next year, it will be on Monday. The crowds will still come and always will.


Czech patron saints

Many churches in Texas Czech communities are named after Saints Cyril and Methodius. So who were they? Cyril and Methodius were brothers who were born in the 820s. Although born into a well-to-do family, they renounced secular honors and became priests. German missionaries tried without success to teach and conduct Mass for the Moravians. But the Moravians sent a request to the Vatican to have teachers who could instruct them and preach the Gospel in the Slavonic language instead of German. Cyril and Methodius, native Greeks, were familiar with the language and accepted the job. They went to Moravia in 863 and stayed for almost five years. The Germans mistrusted the brothers and Rome summoned them back.