POLE POSITION
’3'? A I "e." to entertain crowds of up to 500 at Cabaret Voltaire. Ego and the Liquid Rooms. ‘lt was mainly Poles to start. but then someone would bring a Scottish girlfriend or flatmate. and it
really grew in popttlarity.~ The night was never
intended just for Poles. and she hopes the dance. house and electro beats offer something different to Scottish crowds.
‘lt‘s not specifically Polish music.‘ Zurawska explains. ‘But all the l)Js we bring over are massive back home.‘ She thinks good production values are universal. and music
lovers recognise quality artists wherever
they‘re from.
The celebration of traditional Polish culture at Ceilidh Culture. Edinburgh‘s answer to Glasgow‘s Celtic Connections. takes place on Friday 30 March. ()rganiser Angela Dreyer- Larsen says. "Traditional Polish dances are not unlike Scottish ones — they dance in lines. circles and formations like at a ceilidh. The music sounds quite similar too with fiddles and accordions.’ But l)reyer—l.arsen. who has a Polish father and a Scottish mother. says there‘s one major difference from Scots. ‘Polish men absolutely love to dance. They are quite a macho lot. and very attractive. but when the tunes start. even if it means dancing with another man — they can't get enough.‘
The Scottish Executive‘s liresh Talent scheme. launched in 2005. was devised to stop Scotland‘s population falling below 5 million by attracting a bright young workforce from overseas. In Poland. where employment is at 20%. a lot of people jumped at the chance to relocate when Poland joined the EU. Karol Chojnowski runs S/kocja.net. a Gumtree-style portal for Poles migrating to Scotland.
‘At first. workers catne to find basic jobs in factories and hotels. but now more and more skilled professionals are migrating.‘ says 25-
year—old Chojnowski. rattling off a list of
Polish graphic designers. concert musicians. sportspeople. photographers and journalists who have recently moved to Aberdeen. Edinburgh. Glasgow and Dundee.
In fact. the brain drain from Poland has caused real concern there. as the country haemorrhages talented young workers. To counter this. the Polish government launched an incentive scheme. Stay With Us. last year. with funding from the country‘s biggest
18 THE LIST 15—29 Mar 200f
corporations to persuade twenty and thirtysomethings not to leave by offering them £5000 scholarships.
Like many of his countrymen. Chojnowski has no immediate plans to return to Poland. ‘It takes a while for a commttnity to really make its mark on a country.‘ he says. 'lndian and Chinese populations were here for decades before their customs and culture caught on. But we're catching tip. I think the culture here is getting richer and more colourful all the time.~
Tad and Darius/ Krzysiak. who run Polish restaurant Bigos in Edinburgh. say Scots customers greatly outnumber Poles. ‘When we talk to our Scottish customers. a lot of the young ones have been skiing in Poland or taken a cheap llight to Warsaw. so they know a bit about the weather. or our pop music or language.’ With flights from Scotland to Warsaw. Krakow and Gdansk for £50. the gap
‘IT'S GREAT THAT CREATIVE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO BLEND INTO SCOTLAND'
between the two countries is getting smaller.
Decked out with boar skins on the walls. Bigos has a cosy atmosphere and offers traditional comfort food. Tad says. ‘I think Scottish people are glad to find something different. They maybe want a change from Chinese and Italian food.‘
As well as club night Polished. Habakuk. Poland's number one reggae band. and ()STR. a freestyle rapper. have appeared at Glasgow‘s Arches and the Liquid Rooms in lidinburgh. Cinemas have begttn adding Polish subtitles to films. and there are plans afoot to show Polish language films this year at lidinburgh‘s ()mni cinema.
Glasgow bar TigerTiger holds a popular Big Polish Night Out. In Motherwell. Mona Bishira recently organised a charity night to mark the Polish Karnawal and pulled in a crowd of 250.
The l‘)-year—o|d moved to Scotland last March. and studies musical theatre in Glasgow. She says. 'Most of my friends are Scottish. They wanted to know what to expect at the karnawal. I said. “it‘s a party. just like anywhere else in the world. We have a laugh".‘
As for lwana '/.urawska. she‘s just happy people are finally seeing her homeland as something more than a dark. cold. poor former communist country. She says. ‘lt‘s great that creative. young people are beginning to blend into Scotland. lt's giving the country something different. keeping the cultural scene fresh. People are moving away from the stereotypes of cabbage and vodka and seeing that we have an awesome culture that we would like to share.‘
The Footerin Aboot Baltic Ball is on Fri 30 Mar as part of Ceilidh Culture (www.ceilidhculture.co.uk, 0131 228
1 155).