THE POLKA FAMILY BAND
THE POLKA FAMILY BAND
Polish polka
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
The Polka Family Band is true to their name, a family affair over five decades in the making. Over the years that legacy has allowed them to evolve from performing at community events to touring all over the country and earning numerous awards within the international polka scene, as well as a Grammy nomination. Founded in the 1970s by Frank (Gus) Guzevich and his wife, Manuela (Nellie), today the second and third generations of the Guzevich family keep the music alive.
The Polka Family Band—then living in Southern California—formed over summer trips back east to Gus’s hometown of Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania. While the family of six was already performing together at local gatherings, they mostly played the music of Nellie’s Mexican American roots. Inspired by the polka music they heard in Mt. Carmel, they quickly began learning and writing Polish songs, and their star began to rise. In 1978, a chance encounter at the supermarket led to being invited to perform at the local polka club’s annual festival. In the late 1980s, the family moved to Pennsylvania and their reputation continued to grow. Within a few years, they were playing large festivals all over the country, recording albums, and growing the Guzevich name to new heights within the polka music circuit.
Son Hank (trumpet, lead vocals) is the band’s current leader, having established himself as a gifted musician with a passion for teaching and performing. Hank has led the band to a Grammy nomination, as well as multiple awards from the International Polka Association (IPA). He was inducted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2007. The group has recorded over a dozen albums since their inception nearly fifty years ago, with the most recent album, Polka Road released in 2022. They have performed at Carnegie Hall, on PBS, and on various other nationally televised broadcasts. The band has played all over the world and are always a crowd favorite at Polish celebrations and festivals.
The current ensemble includes Hank Guzevich (trumpet), sons Joey (vocals, bass, fiddle) and Jacob (vocals), nephew Alex Vinecki (drums), and long-time friend Al Piatkowski (accordion), and his son Zach (clarinet, saxophone).
Websites and Social media: polkafamilyband.net
