Chicago-based Polish group to perform Sunday

Students and faculty have a chance to get a taste of the Polish Gorale, or Highlander, culture. From the Polish Highlander's Alliance of America located in Chicago, a group of musicians and dancers will perform songs and dances of the Gorale culture at 3 p.m. Sunday at the University Club in the Indiana Memorial Union. It is free.\nSunday's event will include Polish food such as kielbasa, potato pancakes and bigos, hunter's stew. Folk art and other crafts will also highlight the regional culture of the Gorale.\n"It will be a musical, cultural and culinary assault," graduate student and treasurer for the Polish Cultural Association Mark Betka said. "We are trying to focus on the Gorale culture."\nThe Gorale possess a culture unique to its region, with a distinctive dialect, as well as dress, music and food. Located in the Tartry Mountains in southern Poland, the Gorale culture developed outside the rest of Polish traditions. Isolated from much of the world for centuries, the Gorale remained intact. It is one of the few Polish cultures that have remained so well-preserved. For this reason, the Polish Cultural Association and the Polish Studies Center decided to bring the Gorale group from Chicago to IU.\n"We think the Gorale folklore is the most attractive and best-preserved culture in Poland," said Bozena Shallcross, director of the Polish Studies Center. "This whole region was made open and acceptable to the world only a short time ago, and had remained untouched by civilization."\nThe Polish Cultural Association and the Polish Studies Center take pride in bringing Polish cultural events to the campus, which recently included an Andrzej Wajda film festival. Once they began talking about their next endeavor, the idea came up for the Gorale group.\n"We were chatting with everyone and thinking of events with the University," said Betka, "so we decided to bring them here."\nSachiko Okamoto, a graduate student and member of the Polish Cultural Association who wrote her thesis about the Gorale's music, helped plan the event. She formed a friendship with the members of the Polish Highlander's Association and became an honorary member of the Gorale's club in Chicago. Okamoto invited the group to come to IU, her enthusiasm stemming from the interest in Gorale music.\nShe said that while living in Japan, she became very interested in Chopin's music. Through studying music history, she learned of the Gorale music.\n"It was really different from the music I usually listen to," said Okamoto.\nGorale music festivals and costumes are unique, as well as the music. While much Polish music simply has a melody, the highlanders' music is much richer in harmony. Additionally, they also sing about a Robin Hood-like bandit, who stole from the rich and gave to the poor, said Okamoto.\nEven Gorale dialect reflects their musical capabilities.\n"Their dialect is very musical," Shallcross said. "It's a very original group."\nShallcross said because this culture is so well-preserved and one-of-a-kind, people of all backgrounds should attend.\n"They will have a very rare opportunity to hear and see a group of authentic Highlanders and enjoy their artistic expression. Through their music and their costumes, they are very expressive," Shallcross said.\nBetka also emphasizes the opportunity to experience a culture firsthand.\n"Through music, like food, you get a window into the people," Betka said.