As I was scanning headlines earlier this week, I found one that had my half Polish heart standing up to take notice.
A Grammy award winning polka song is close to becoming the Illinois state song.
The Article originally appeared on the The Southern but was also carried on the Chicago Tribuine, which is where I first noticed the headline.
Source: Maddox, J. (2015, March 26). Committee approves polka song as state symbol. Retrieved March 28, 2015, from http://thesouthern.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/committee-approves-polka-song-as-state-symbol/article_59e3c7c3-c6ce-5eb8-8291-dba54b9c6b59.html
As most polkas, it is an up beat song that had me on my feet and dancing. The song “Polka Celebration” will help as stated “chase away the blues.”
The song version shared on the Trib was clearer, but the version shared by The Southern has a great video of Eddie Blazonczyk’s Versatones in concert.
Here is the version shared by ChicagoTribune.com
Unfortunately the State’s official dance has already been declared the square dance.
Although, for a woman whose father’s family came from the farmland of Ogle County, Illinois, and whose mother’s family is south side Chicago Polish, this mix is fairly appropriate.