Le Msic Plye

Polish Folk Band DIKANDA Plays Le Poisson Rouge 9/25

Ask Poland's Dikanda what they play, and they'll answer in a word: Truth. It's that wellspring of deep emotion that can just as easily arise at village kitchen tables as in global sonic hitchhiking. To reach it, the six-piece band invents languages, re-imagines traditional Eastern European songs, and commits utterly and refreshingly to every performance.

Americans will have their first taste of Dikanda's lively intensity in September 2011, as the group tours the U.S. for the first time. Hitting world music festivals and venues in New York, Chicago, and Minneapolis, the band brings Polish mountain hollers and Kurdish melodies, rollicking dance beats and searching ballads together effortlessly, in an ever-changing interplay of acoustic musicianship and soulful, soaring vocals.

"Dikanda is about this expression of death and birth, longing and loneliness. Our concerts are not something set apart from the rest of life," explains singer, accordionist, and group founder Ania Witczak. "People in the audience may not understand what we sing, but they'll often break into tears. Or into wild dancing."

Witczak calls the coming together of the band "miraculous." Hailing from Szczecin, an industrial port on the Baltic with mixed Slavic and Germanic roots, the group has long stood out in a music scene dominated by standard-issue pop. Witczak and guitarist Piotr Rejdak teamed up as cash-strapped students to finance a hitchhiking foray to Western Europe by busking. Before they knew it, one jam session and lucky encounter led to another, and Dikanda was born.

They became more than a mere band; they became a tight-knit group of friends-the group's name stems from an African dialect word for "family"-and that intimacy shows on stage. "When we play a concert, we try to keep the truth of the matter," Witczak reflects. "In every moment, we hear these voices inside us, the voices of our forefathers and mothers, and then we return to our own voices.

Review: Le Play Cafe in Bellmore, A Wonderful Play Space With A ...

Le Play Cafe in Bellmore, an 8 month old large 2000 square foot playspace, offers so many things to keep children ages 6 months to 6 years engaged. With a climbing structure and a slide, soft play blocks, a pirate boat, little ride on vehicles, a stage with two racks of costumes and huge mirror, a little castle, tables filled with puzzles, a kitchen, play food and an ice cream stand,– your kid will NOT turn to you and whine, “I’m bored”. Plus moms and caregivers also have an area where they can hang out and grab a cup of coffee or a snack and watch their kids have a blast!

We fell in love with Le Play Cafe as soon as we walked through the doors. Once we spied all the fabulous toys, slides, and dress up materials in the play area , my 3 1/2 year old daughter and almost 6 year old son’s eyes lit up. In the space of two hours, they got to be Spiderman, Optimus Prime, a firefighter, a construction worker, Iron Man, veterinarian, and Superman.

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