Don't Laugh, Soul In Krakow

[BrianB]

Hi,

Off to Krakow at the end of October for a week or so.

Anybody know if any of the numerous bars have a northern night?

Slim chance I know, but......

[Djmelismo]

I was in Krakow several years ago. Don´t know about the nightlife, but in the daytime I tried to find places where they sell used records. I did find a few places, but did NOT FIND ONE SINGLE SOUL RECORD! Obviously not the best place to go for soul music?! But who knows, maybe some other forum member will prove me wrong. Only spent a couple of days there, so it was a short visit and many years ago.

Best,

Melismo

[Guest malayka]

Hi Brian,

Krakow is a beautiful place and has lots and lots of little cafes and bars. But I have to say that I've never came across a Northern night. The explanation is quite simple, the lived "locked away" for 50 + years and missed most of the music- development in the west...If you ask for a house club, you'd have more chances...

There are some Jazz bars downtown which are nice...

[Tomangoes]

Be a missionary and take your own music, preach the faith, even if its on MP3.

Was in Gdansk a few times and they had a least one Irish bar. (Maybe a commitments CD behind the bar?)

I think Poland is 'getting there'

There must be some of the 600000 Polish workers over here that have got 'into soul' and took some home.....

Ed

[mariuj]

your best bet would be to contact Cpt Sparky, he'll know if there is anything there for you:

https://www.soulservice.pl/

https://www.cptsparky.com/

he's a nice and helpful guy.

[Boogaloo]

There are a couple of record shops there, took a bit of digging though. Went with Karen about 2 years ago - fab place. Picked up some soul and jazz (Garland Green, Blue Notes, Nat King Cole) most of the records were released on communist labels tho' - very weird.

[Sebastian]

Does anyone have any suggestions on record stores, bars, clubs, restaurants etc. to visit when in Warsaw? I'll be spending a couple of days there in a few weeks time.

Edited September 25, 2007 by Sebastian

[mariuj]

Does anyone have any suggestions on record stores, bars, clubs, restaurants etc. to visit when in Warsaw? I'll be spending a couple of days there in a few weeks time.

again:

your best bet would be to contact Cpt Sparky, he'll know if there is anything there for you:

https://www.soulservice.pl/

https://www.cptsparky.com/

he's a nice and helpful guy. (and he lives in Warsaw as far as I know)

[Guest]

Not to revive an ancient thread, but I am most likely going to Poland sometime this summer and was wondering on the off chance if anybody knew of a soul club out there. Have tried looking at those two websites but they are in Polish!!!

[soulski]

Not to revive an ancient thread, but I am most likely going to Poland sometime this summer and was wondering on the off chance if anybody knew of a soul club out there. Have tried looking at those two websites but they are in Polish!!!

Hello Sludge ( or is it Jessica )

My name is Jan and if I'm not Soul Brother number one in Warsaw, Poland, I'm probably top five. If you are coming over drop me a line and I can give you a heads up but unfortunately musically Poland is a bit of a soul desert. I'm trying to change that though - I have a weekly Soul show on a local Warsaw radio station ( Sunday Soul Cellar )

There's more about it on a facebook page Jan Laskowski Sunday Soul Cellar ( could do with some likes though, looking at it )

Records I play are probably a little 'old hat' or commercial for you guys but it's partly educational to get younger folk listening, I'll do theme shows - male vocal groups, Motown, Philly, sixties dancers, instrumentals etc ( this week will be doing Southern Soul ) and I talk a bit in Polish about the artists, labels, styles etc

It's just a hobby really but I've had some good feedback. I've done A Soul evening in a local pub ( the Soul Cellar ) and plan to do some more when I have time. My dream would be to have a club night - there is lots of R&B, jazz, reggae, hip hop, house etc going on but no Soul as you might imagine it and I'm not a pro DJ and would need some help.

So in the meantime I potter away, I'm going to promote the show a little more than I have ( this is a start ) and if any of you Soul Brothers or Soul Sisters are planning to pass through town or have any questions at all about the Black Hole of Europe on the Soul Map ( Poland ) please don't hesitate to ask.

Keep the Faith

pozdrawiam, Jan

ps - the Guy from the previous links in this thread has disappeared I think, wouldn't mind getting in touch myself

[Quinvy]

Strange though how so many of us who were born over here, post war to a Polish parent/s, fell in love with northern soul. Must be something in the genes? Or are the Polish people the "blacks" of Europe? Say it loud, I'm Polish and I'm proud.

[Tricky]

Give over!

Like your sentiments Quinvy but its obviously,

Say it loud im Ukrainian and im proud.

[Johnmcc]

Phil, Trev -Eeejits!

The Irish are "The Blacks of Europe" (The Commitments).

Edited April 19, 2012 by johnmcc

[Guest Dave Turner]

Hello Sludge ( or is it Jessica )

My name is Jan and if I'm not Soul Brother number one in Warsaw, Poland, I'm probably top five. If you are coming over drop me a line and I can give you a heads up but unfortunately musically Poland is a bit of a soul desert. I'm trying to change that though - I have a weekly Soul show on a local Warsaw radio station ( Sunday Soul Cellar )

There's more about it on a facebook page Jan Laskowski Sunday Soul Cellar ( could do with some likes though, looking at it )

Records I play are probably a little 'old hat' or commercial for you guys but it's partly educational to get younger folk listening, I'll do theme shows - male vocal groups, Motown, Philly, sixties dancers, instrumentals etc ( this week will be doing Southern Soul ) and I talk a bit in Polish about the artists, labels, styles etc

It's just a hobby really but I've had some good feedback. I've done A Soul evening in a local pub ( the Soul Cellar ) and plan to do some more when I have time. My dream would be to have a club night - there is lots of R&B, jazz, reggae, hip hop, house etc going on but no Soul as you might imagine it and I'm not a pro DJ and would need some help.

So in the meantime I potter away, I'm going to promote the show a little more than I have ( this is a start ) and if any of you Soul Brothers or Soul Sisters are planning to pass through town or have any questions at all about the Black Hole of Europe on the Soul Map ( Poland ) please don't hesitate to ask.

Keep the Faith

pozdrawiam, Jan

ps - the Guy from the previous links in this thread has disappeared I think, wouldn't mind getting in touch myself

Jan, nice post and hats off to you for having the belief and drive in promoting what you love in a soul desert.

I'd be interested in checking out you show this Sunday coming (southern soul).

https://radiokampus.waw.pl/programy/muzyka/sunday_soul_cellar.html

Is the show at 19.00 (18.00 here in UK) ?

Dave

[soulski]

Thanks Dave, yes my show is 19.00 c.e.t. so that means 18.00 UK time. The first few tracks of the Southern Soul show will be from the Atlantic/Stax greatest hits selection - Otis Redding, Wicked Pickett, Sam n Dave etc as an introduction but I'll slip in some Candi Staton, Doris Duke and James Carr too.

[Geeselad]

Give over!

Like your sentiments Quinvy but its obviously,

Say it loud im Ukrainian and im proud.

Lithuanian soul power! seriously I know loads of old soul boys round my way with eastern european linage.

[Guest Dave Turner]

Thanks Dave, yes my show is 19.00 c.e.t. so that means 18.00 UK time. The first few tracks of the Southern Soul show will be from the Atlantic/Stax greatest hits selection - Otis Redding, Wicked Pickett, Sam n Dave etc as an introduction but I'll slip in some Candi Staton, Doris Duke and James Carr too.

Splendid

https://www.youtube.com/user/spinning45s

Edited April 19, 2012 by Dave Turner

[Premium Stuff]

Sorry this is off topic and it's not intended to be negative or derogatory in any way - but I just happened to watch Ross Kemp on Gangs on TV the other night and they featured Krakow - with lots of fairly serious football and right-wing related gang violence.

Just wondered if there was any real truth in it - or is it just sensationalised TV rubbish?

Before I start sounding quite unworldly - I have travelled and worked quite extensively around the globe - never been to Poland unfortunately, but I have been to the likes of Latvia, Lithiania, Estonia, Hungary, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia as far east as Siberia etc. and been to some fairly 'edgy' places.

Cheers

Richard

[Quinvy]

Phil, Trev -Eeejits!

The Irish are "The Blacks of Europe" (The Commitments).

I know John, I was taking poetic licence with the film script......

[Quinvy]

Sorry this is off topic and it's not intended to be negative or derogatory in any way - but I just happened to watch Ross Kemp on Gangs on TV the other night and they featured Krakow - with lots of fairly serious football and right-wing related gang violence.

Just wondered if there was any real truth in it - or is it just sensationalised TV rubbish?

Before I start sounding quite unworldly - I have travelled and worked quite extensively around the globe - never been to Poland unfortunately, but I have been to the likes of Latvia, Lithiania, Estonia, Hungary, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia as far east as Siberia etc. and been to some fairly 'edgy' places.

Cheers

Richard

I haven't got a clue Richard. The only thing I know about Poland is my dad was from there.

I also heard some of our Asian cousins complaining "them bloody poles coming over here, stealing our jobs, working all the hours God sends for less than minimum wages, and dozens of them living in a flat. They should send them back where they came from."

Oh the irony.

[Guest gordon russell]

Give over!

Like your sentiments Quinvy but its obviously,

Say it loud im Ukrainian and im proud.

Trev.......you're a carrot cruncher

[Guest gordon russell]

they get their records from soul pole

[Guest gordon russell]

do ya think they like krakow cocaineski

[soulski]

Sorry this is off topic and it's not intended to be negative or derogatory in any way - but I just happened to watch Ross Kemp on Gangs on TV the other night and they featured Krakow - with lots of fairly serious football and right-wing related gang violence.

Just wondered if there was any real truth in it - or is it just sensationalised TV rubbish?

Before I start sounding quite unworldly - I have travelled and worked quite extensively around the globe - never been to Poland unfortunately, but I have been to the likes of Latvia, Lithiania, Estonia, Hungary, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia as far east as Siberia etc. and been to some fairly 'edgy' places.

Cheers

Richard

Hello Richard

The football violence is real but mostly confined to 'willing participants', Krakow and Poland is quite safe and I don't think there are many incidents of visitors being bothered - certainly safer than Russia or the Ukraine that you also mentioned.

Quinvy - you should certainly visit, do you know what part of Poland your dad was from ?

[Quinvy]

Hello Richard

The football violence is real but mostly confined to 'willing participants', Krakow and Poland is quite safe and I don't think there are many incidents of visitors being bothered - certainly safer than Russia or the Ukraine that you also mentioned.

Quinvy - you should certainly visit, do you know what part of Poland your dad was from ?

He came from a small town called Zdunska Wola. My sister and her husband went over a few years ago to try and find any relatives that might still be around. They had some success, but were very limited by the language barrier. Because our mother was English, we never had to learn to speak Polish. Unlike some of my childhood friends that had both Polish parents, they were forced to attend classes and learn the language. I suppose they wanted to try and retain their heritage.

Phil.

[SHEFFSOUL]

Hi,

Off to Krakow at the end of October for a week or so.

Anybody know if any of the numerous bars have a northern night?

Slim chance I know, but......

you never know..i worked in Bulgaria ,Sofia some years ago..i promoted a northern soul nite and had first nite badges made..they absolutely loved it..even had a dance comp..