MAGURZANIE Regional Group from Łodygowice

The group was founded in 1984 and it presents dances and music of the highlanders from the Żywiec region.It is a prize winner of the “Oskar Kolberg” for merits for folk culture and the winner of the “Golden Heart” on the Festival of the Polish Highlanders in Żywiec in 2017.

On our festival the group will show the program, Hołdamas po młócce. The action takes place in the barn, on the floor. On Saturday the father of “Gazda” orders musicians to celebrate the first hołdamas (holmes after threshing). It is a spontaneous play, “Gazda” invites the boys from the neighbourhood who helped to thresh the corn. The parents of the young host and neighbours are also here. The hostess bringsthe first bread she baked with the freshly made flour. After the common thanksgiving prayer, the hosts serve the guests. The neighbour tries to find young boys to thresh his corn. So, he checks the guys on how they can beatwith the rhythmic threshing tool. The joyous singing and dancing begins.

The host starts to dance, Konia and the second host, Siustanego. At first the elders and later youth dance, Obyrtke. Finally, humorous songs lead to a fierce fight, which is broken up by the host initiating the settlement of disputes during the Hajduk show. The group will perform in two types of costumes of Żywiec highlanders: seniors in the ceremonial, youth in costumes of the so-called, pastoral.

Musicians will play: heligonka, bagpipes, violin and double bass.

The leader of the group is: Elżbieta Konior, musical directors: Brygida Sordyl and Józef Łanowski and artistic supervisors: Krystyna Mikociak and Elżbieta Mikociak.

The group wish to be in category I: traditional