Polka Music Is Eliminated as Grammy Award Category

NY Times ^ | Published: June 4, 2009 | BEN SISARIO

[a fool in paradise]

After 24 years, polka has had its last dance at the Grammys.

The Recording Academy, which bestows the Grammy Awards, announced late on Wednesday that the polka category would be eliminated, saying in a statement that it had been cut “to ensure the awards process remains representative of the current musical landscape.”

To many in the polka world, that read as a kind of industry code meaning that their genre — once capable of supporting artists with million-selling hits, but long since relegated to micro-niche status — had slipped off the mainstream radar entirely.

“It’s devastating,” said Carl Finch of Brave Combo, a band from Denton, Tex., that has won the Grammy twice. “Polka is so misunderstood, you know, the butt of jokes. Having a polka category was the most important step to legitimacy that we could ever hope to achieve. To have that taken away, it’s like it was all for nothing.”

The news was met with sadness but little surprise. The number of albums considered by the Recording Academy for the polka award has dwindled in recent years. In 2006, for example, only 20 albums were considered, and of the five nominees, only one album had wide distribution.

“When it gets down to around 20 entries, just by entering, you have a one in five chance of being nominated,” said Bill Freimuth, the academy’s vice president for awards. “That’s not as competitive as we’d like these awards to be.”

[mylife]

Sounds cool to me!

[mylife]

Brave Combo & Copper Box~Schtumpfer's Cumbia

[fishtank]

How ‘bout zydeco???

[Army Air Corps]

Here is their only English (mostly) song.

[mylife]

Dat’s da Bom Bom!

[Yaelle]

I think this is because rivalries between east coast and west coast polka groups were causing too much violence.

[Revolting cat!]

Dude, that is:

[Revolting cat!]

[Army Air Corps]

A group called Turbo Angels is also pretty good. Also Ana Rotar has some nice songs (like this one). Then, there is always Niki.

[tet68]

Turbo Angels.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgI0wJKkQTM&feature=PlayList&p=9761C6FAC99E0296&index=5

[mylife]

All this is far more interesting than Eminem L0L

[mylife]

Polka! Polka!

[Army Air Corps]

If you liked that, then you'll like this, this, and this. Also, Sladko Vince is a fun song.

[Army Air Corps]

Damned straight! :-)

[stefanbatory]

I love listening to Atomik Harmonik...yeah...listening...that’s the part I like...;)

[Revolting cat!]

What, rap doesn’t qualify as “spoken word”?

[mylife]

I never hear any of this on Radio Slovakia.

Oh well.. I like the videos better than radio anyway!

[Army Air Corps]

That is one of their best. There is also this one.

[Daffynition]

[Army Air Corps]

Well, a couple of their singers have, uh, lotsa talent. Watch their ode to Chocolate.