Polish music would have been an exotic entertainment in the Ireland of a decade ago, but now it almost seems like a case of selling pierogis to Poznan.
The Warsaw Village Band arrives in Dublin today for its gig at the Festival of World Cultures in Dún Laoghaire. Their music is folk combined with hip-hop or techno, and that fusion is set to be one of the highlights of the festival, which gets under way this afternoon.
Contemporary-traditional is the speciality of the Warsaw Village Band, one of 150 international acts performing at the festival, now in its sixth year.
"We play traditional Polish music but try and make it appealing to younger people. We give it a more modern element. Our music is open to the future and to the past," explains band member Wojciech Krzak, who, aged 26, is the country's youngest traditional Polish violin player.
He and the rest of the group, comprised of Maja Kleszcz (cello, vocals), Magdalena Sobezak (dulcimer, vocals), Sylwia Swiatkowska (violin, old Polish fiddle), Piotr Glinski (baraban drums) and Maciej Szajkowski (frame drum), began playing together five years ago, combining traditional instruments with "white voices" - a melodic scream used by shepherds in the past to communicate over long distances.
They have performed in 26 countries across Europe, Asia and North America, and with African rappers Daara J in their home country of Senegal. So far this August they have played three festivals in Britain and Germany, but this is their first time in the Republic of Ireland.
"We have played in Belfast but that's it. We are very excited. Everyone is talking about Ireland in Poland, with so many Polish people uprooting and going to live there," Krzak said from Warsaw.
"And Irish music is so popular everywhere. Even here in Poland. It will be great to perform in what is maybe the homeland of folk music," he said.
"Our music is not mainstream. But we use similar instruments in Polish traditional music. In Irish music there are violins, for example. But Irish music is almost classical, Polish music is different and perhaps not so nice. It's much more about emotions, and hopefully people will feel those emotions."
Their unique blend of genres, which they describe as "bio-techno" or "hip-hopsasa", which translates from Polish as "let's dance" or "let's jump", earned them the prestigious BBC3 World Music Award in 2004. Last April they were awarded the "Fryderyk" Polish music award for best folk or ethnic album.
"Sometimes our music is even more exotic than Asian or African music to people. People just don't know what to expect," said Krzak. "But we hope Irish people will like it."
The Warsaw Village Band will perform in Coastline at the Purty Kitchen. Tickets cost €22.
Other highlights of the three-day festival include Sudanese child soldier turned hip-hop artist Emmanuel Jal and the fusion of London's Trans-Global Underground with Bulgarian folk group Trio Bulgarka. There will also be intercultural speed dating, and food stalls from around the world.
For information see www.festivalofworldcultures.com