Polish Folk Music

TREBUNIE-TUTKI

The name of Trebunie-Tutki group is the name of a big, famous family, that has been living in Podhale region for generations. And for all those years music has been present in the family life; during very important events, like weeding or funeral and also during ordinary days and long winter evenings. But Trebunie-Tutki did not play only for themselves. The Trebunias’ grand father- Stanislaw Budz Mróz gave concerts in Warsaw, Lvov, Hamburg, Berlin and even, in 1925, at the World Exhibition in Paris. He also played for such well known Polish artists like Jan Kasprowicz or Karol Szymanowski.
All members of Trebunie-Tutki group still live in Podhale-mountain region, far away from the overcrowded capital city, big events and a commercial market, what, of course, is not good for them. But the Trebunias say, that „they have to be close to the sky-touching mountains, dark forests and green valleys, to hear a wind whistling and to fill an air vibration during a thunderstorm. And all those things you can find in their music.
Trebunie-Tutki band started to be popular in 1991, after a historical meeting with Twinkle Brothers - the group from Jamaica playing ”roots reggae”. A result of this meeting were 2 CDs; one of them, ”Higher Heights”, was the greatest event of the Berlin Music Fair ‘94, the second, ”Come Back Twinkle to Trebunia Family”, was the number 6 in the World Music Chart Europe.
Trebunie-Tutki band was nominated for the Fryderyk Music Award in 1995 and 1996 (Polish equivalent of Grammy). They give many concerts, very often they are invited to TV programs, their songs you can hear on radio.
Up today they recorded 23 albums. ”Janosik in Sherwood” recorded in co-operation with a famous megadubmaster Adrian Sherwood, was the number 9 in the World Music Chart Europe 1997. The next record śHighlander Apo- Calypso” also appeared on this list.
A traditional highlander music is difficult and not very popular. To make it more interesting and do not forget the traditional customs and ceremonies, Trebunie-Tutki try to create a new, special sound of their music - called by them ”a new highlander music” or ”a heavy wood music”. In this music you can find elements from reggae, jazz and rock.
Trebunie-Tutki co-operate with different bands. They give concerts together with Daab - one of the best Polish reggae group, with Kinior Orchestra and sometimes with Michal Kulenty, Krzysztof Ścierański or Pawel Kukiz - very popular Polish artists.
The band have played many concerts in Poland: at the Opole and Sopot Song Festivals, Poznan Jazz Fair, European Radio Union in Zakopane and in abroad: London, Lisbona (EXPO98), Budapest, Perleberg, Potsdam, Sfinks Festival in Antwerpen and in Kirgihstan. Last year the group created a music illustration to multi mediumistic encyclopaedia describing Polish Tatra Mountains, which step by step turned into an album titled śEtnno techno”, where they conspire with Włodzimierz Kiniorski’s band: Kinior Future Sound. Here come the violins, flutes, bagpipes of Trebunie - Tutki combined with the technno, ambient and dub of the Kiniors.