WAITING IN THE WINGS DANCING THE POLKA.Byline: - Fred Shuster The Grammy Awards Grammy Awards Annual awards given by the Recording Academy (officially the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences). The first Grammies (the name is a dimunitive of “gramophone”) were given in 1958. are only a week and a half away (Feb. 21), and with 100 categories (the vast majority of which you won't see on the CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. telecast), it's impossible to spotlight everyone who was nominated. Some of the nominees have gotten way too much press anyway. Plus there are plenty of terrific artists out there to talk about. So we've chosen a few of the nominees who, if you don't already know them, we can introduce you to over the next 10 days or so. Polka polka, ballroom dance for couples in 2/4 time. Originated by Bohemian peasants about 1830 from steps of the schottische and other dances, the polka by 1835 reached the drawing rooms of Prague, from which it spread to the capitals of Europe. ! Quick - what's the first thing that comes to mind? A friendly portly port·ly adj. port·li·er, port·li·est 1. Comfortably stout; corpulent. See Synonyms at fat. 2. Archaic Stately; majestic; imposing. [From port5. fellow in lederhosen clutching a tankard of beer? Well, Grammy Award-nominee LynnMarie Rink might change that formerly indelible image. Born and raised in an ethnic Slovenian community in polka-strong Cleveland, Ohio "Cleveland" redirects here. For the Cleveland metropolitan area, see . For other uses, see Cleveland (disambiguation). Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. , Rink (who goes by LynnMarie professionally) was almost destined des·tine tr.v. des·tined, des·tin·ing, des·tines 1. To determine beforehand; preordain: a foolish scheme destined to fail; a film destined to become a classic. 2. to pick up the accordion accordion, musical instrument consisting of a rectangular bellows expanded and contracted between the hands. Buttons or keys operated by the player open valves, allowing air to enter or to escape. The air sets in motion free reeds, frequently made of metal. . Her childhood was rich in Old Country culture and weekends were spent at the local Slovenian meeting hall where music and dancing were the main activity. Rink's father, an accomplished accordion player and band leader, was her first inspiration. ``I would see him entertain crowds in his tavern,'' said Rink, whose ``SqueezeBox'' is up for best polka album at the Feb. 21 awards ceremony. ``The music made everyone happy, and I knew that's what I wanted to do, too.'' Determined to push polka beyond its beer-hall traditions, Rink moved to Nashville in 1994, adding folk, country and Tex-Mex influences to her playing and writing. ``I always felt polka could be popular with a wide, younger audience,'' she said. ``This nomination shows that people accept our new sound and we're closer to reaching our goals.'' Still, Rink, 35, remembers how she was made fun of in high school because of her choice of instrument. ``All the boys used to say I would never develop because I would hold the accordion so close to my chest,'' she said with a laugh. ``I think I showed them.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: LynnMarie Rink added folk, country and Tex-Mex sounds to her renditions of the polka. |
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