Disco polo

[8] Classic disco polo songs are characterized by simple chord progressions[clarification needed][1] and melodies,[8] and take further influence from the steady rhythms found in folk music.

'sidewalk music') by label owner Sławomir Skręta, which was a reference to the main means of distribution: records were sold primarily in stalls on streets and bazaars.

[5] Sidewalk music was played at country picnics, county depots, weddings, as well as political campaigns for Polish parliament and president.

On February 29, 1992, a TVP1 broadcast dedicated to disco polo named Gala Piosenki Chodnikowej i Popularnej ('Gala of Sidewalk and Popular Songs') was held.

Traditional instruments came to be replaced by keyboards later in the 1990s, which contributed to a slight change in style, making the songs more akin to Eurodance.

[21] On April 24, 1998, the film Kochaj i rób co chcesz ('Love and Do What You Will') was released by Robert Gliński, in which the main character leaves to play disco polo on the piano in a club.

believe that the genre's drastic decline in popularity was in part caused by the emigration of disco polo musicians to the United States, where some artists continued their work.

[33] On December 5, 2010, the channel VIVA Polska began airing a dance music program called Disco ponad wszystko ('Disco above all') every Sunday.

On September 27, 2011, the channel TV.DISCO was launched, which broadcast the genre alongside disco, dance, and electronic music, and as of January 2015[update] remained on air.

[38] The Disco Relax program, which aired in the 1990s on Polsat, was meant to resume on TV.DISCO but eventually returned on February 12, 2012, on Polo TV.

[40][41] In 2011, director Maciej Bochniak produced a documentary entitled Miliard Szczęśliwych Ludzi ('A Billion Happy People') about the travels of Bayer Full and their performances in China.

[43] From April 8 to December 1, 2013, the genre was promoted by Radio Plus, which changed its slogan from Łagodne Przeboje ('Gentle hits') to Zawsze w Rytmie ('Always in Rhythm').

[38][48] On February 27, 2015, Maciej Bochniak's film Disco Polo hit movie theatres, which tells the story of a group of musicians who reached the top of the genre's charts.

[49] On February 26, 2015, in connection with the release of the film, an episode of Hala odlotów ('Waiting room') aired on TVP Kultura, dedicated to the genre.

At the end of June 2017, achieving over 106 million views, the song "Przez twe oczy zielone" ("Because of your green eyes") by Akcent beat Weekend's record.

[54] The bands and artists which gained significant popularity after 2002 are, among others: After Party, Weekend, Andre, Czadoman, Tomasz Niecik, Eva Basta, Masters, DJ Disco ft. MC Polo, Cliver, Effect and Power Play.

[60] The president of Telewizja Polska Jacek Kurski also expressed joy at the fact that the genre is no longer ironically hated, as the performance was enjoyed by many people present at the event.

Since 2007, interest in disco polo has grown, which is reflected in a greater presence of this music in some media and the increased number of concerts played.

[64] Online social video services such as YouTube[65] and the site Wrzuta.pl,[66] which existed from 2006 to 2017, also had a significant impact on the renewed interest in disco polo.

[67] At the end of 2016 a well-known disco polo band, Akcent (Zenon Martyniuk and Ryszard Warot), performed for the first time at the New Year's Eve party in Zakopane, organised by Telewizja Polska.