O's Polka

Here's sample of a polka I composed. Hope you like it. Our band, Conjunto Los Pochos recorded it in 2002 and released it in 2004. Find out when we're playing and more at http://lospochos.com. If you'd like to hear the full band playing this song, check out: http://myspace.com/lospochos or visit: http://cdbaby.com/lospochos2 to purchase a copy of the CD.



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San Pancho (Casa de la cultura)

Presentacion de la Casa de la Cultura de San Francisco de los Romo



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Polka Genres

Author Charles Keil and his wife state that “there are as many styles of polka as there are polka localities.” Nevertheless, they have divided American polka music into three major genres:

1. Slavic with two sub-genres:
   Polish-American and
   Slovenian-American;
   found in eastern and midwestern America.
   
   
2. Germanic with two sub-genres:
   German-American and
   Czech-American;
   found in midwestern and western America.
   
   
3. Southwestern with two sub-genres:
   Mexican-American and
   Papago-Pima;
   found in southwestern America.

Although these genres are very different in instrumentation and tempo, they are all united by the following:

• characteristic 2/4 time signature



• instruments: accordion or concertina, wind instruments and drums



• lyrics about joy, religion and culture

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