Kolomeike polka

There are a few different spellings for this tune type. I’ve given a few. It is a dance rather than a specific tune. I know of at least three. This is the one I play most often.

Kolomeyke is a town in the Galician part of Ukraine.

There’s a Galician part of Ukraine?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galicia_(Central_Europe)

"Galicia is a historical region currently split between Poland and Ukraine. The Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, or simply Galicia, was the largest, most populous, and northernmost province of Austria from 1772 until 1918, with Lemberg (Lwów, L’viv) as its capital city." ~

~ "The name Galicia et Lodomeria was first used in the 13th century by King Andrew II of Hungary. It was a Latinized version of the Slavic names Halych and Volodymyr, the major cities of the Ukrainian or Ruthenian principality of Halych-Volhynia, which was under Hungarian rule at the time." ~

Kolomyika - this is the right way to write it.
That is a dance tune to which funny verses usually are sung. It is specific for western part of Ukraine, especially for Carpathian mountains region (it`s named after town of Kolomyia, Ivano-Frankivsk region, where it used to be very popular). An ethnic group called Hutsuls lives there, It`s with them the tunes of that type are usually associated. They have a very distinct manner of fiddle (and not only) playing that includes microtones and some other peculiar things. Actually, it is very different from irish/scottish style of playing both in the technique and mood.

Nice addition and note VOK of the Ukraine. I wish I could hear you guys jamming… I have danced to this music, a friend’s specialty, but I have not memory of what exactly we did. I have also heard field recordings of music from the Ukraine ~ beautiful, magnificent…

If you can recommend any recordings that would be very appreciated…

It`s a big pity you are not in Ukraine now, as I suspect. The problem is that I do not know what of Ukrainian traditional records you have there in the west avilable… We have a great amount here. That`s why I do not know what and how I could recommend you on the subject.
Though I` d like to very much 🙂.

VAK of the Ukraine ~ they use microtones in Irish music too… Those little soul chirps get around…

Viking of Ukraine Most of the recorded Ukrainian music is either recorded by Melodia(U.S.S.R) or by Canadian-Ukranian musicians.
The U.S based Veretski Pass has a bit of the raw energy and sound of the Troista Musica.
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/veretskipass
http://www.veretskipass.com/

2 McMandolin;
Heh, Veretsky Pass is a nice place in Carpathians, actually 🙂. Though Jewish Ukrainian music is not exactly the same as the Ukrainian proper.
Yes, Melodia had released a number of very good authentic Ukrainian records but they are rare now though some of them re-released on CDs here in Ukraine. The fact is that now there are planty of new records made here due to the revival of interest to the national culture in the recent time.
As for Canadian-Ukranian musicians they have their own vision of Ukrainian culture and music, often a very strange one… Though, they are a reliable source to know what Ukrainian music sounds like, I think, especially the western Ukrainian one (the most of Canadian-Ukranians origin from the west of Ukraine).
P.S. Ukrainian traditional music varies greatly regionally. I.e. the music of Carpathians is not the same as the music of Kiev region, etc.

Music from the Carpathians were the field recordings I had heard and fell in love with, but those mountains cut across numerous borders and include a wild mix of identities. I fell in love with what I’d heard. As far as I know I’ve never heard anything from Kiev, other than the ‘nationalist’ ‘dance suite’ stuff ~ very operatic and over the top, large instrumental groups… Impressive but more in common with Aaron Copeland or Mikis Theodorakis rather than ‘folk’ in the raw sense of it I’d heard and fallen in love with from those lovely mountains…

Viking. Have you looked at the Pride and Joy polka.It is a Canadian Ukranian tune I posted before this. I am curious how it sound to you.
Do you ever use sopilkas and bandurras for Irish Music?

2McMandolin
Yes, we use sopilka & bandura for Irish music. For example, sopilka sounds on our version of Farewell to Chernobyl (the link is in the comments to the tune). But anyway, it is more interesting to play ITM on tin-whistle, sopilka technique is different.
Bandura technique is different from Irish harp, too, but we use it to play O`Carolan`s compositions, that sounds great. May be in future I will take out some composition in the internet.

I thought the chromatic nature of the instrument might be useful. Whistle players wouldn’t need as many instruments.