Street Bands in Warsaw

Warsaw Street Bands

There are some things I enjoy about the urban folklore in Warsaw. It's - obviously - the street musicians and bands.

Musicians playing and singing on the streets of Warsaw were especially popular before the Second World War. But even today there are bands that still play in places with lots of passer-bys (tourists including). What's more some bands playing their music going through the backyards, among the apartment buildings.

Today, on 23rd of March 2014, one of such bands was in my neighbourhood. I think it was first time in few months. Not surprising, considering that there is too little street bands in too big city to hear them often. Unfortunately.

Continue reading to see the videos of the street band performance. You will also learn more about street bands in Warsaw and its significance.

A Street Band in Wola Region

Below is a fragment of the concert. Recorded from the 8th floor, so sorry for the lack of details. Music is more important tho. ;)

It's customary to either drop down the money (coins) in a package for their performance or just give them out (like in the video). You can pay however much you want.

Kapela Czerniakowska

If you're interested in seeing a street band from up close, here is a music video of one of the legendary street bands called "Kapela Czerniakowska". The background is Warsaw of course. ;)

The song is a memento song of  man named Felek, who died earlier because of drinking alcohol.

The monument of Praga's Street Band

Praga is one of thew Warsaw's districts, like Wola. It's also one of the places where the Warsaw dialect is the best preserved. There are also many street bands there. It's not surprising, that they have the Street Band's monument there.

The monument is not far from either the Old Town or the Warszawa Wileńska station. It's near the St. Florian's Cathedral.

If you'd like to hear the songs the street bands were playing, you can. The monument offers you a possibility to play recorded songs, which you activate with SMS. You can listen to one of the one hundred known and popular songs.

Did you like the music and the idea of street band?