Since 1882, the Midwest’s most well known entertainers, the Chmielewski Family, have been synonymous with polka music. Over 100 years later and into five succeeding generations, the Chmielewski Family music has never stopped.
In 1989, the “Chmielewski Family Funtime Band” swept the Minnesota Music Academy for three consecutive years by winning nine out of eleven awards in the polka field.
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They produced over 2000 television shows broadcast throughout the U.S. and Canada and currently air on Cable-tv channel 6 ( Minneapolis, MN), KEYC-tv
( Mankato, MN), and Nationally on Dish Satellite channel 9409 and Direct-tv channel 379.
The leader of the band, Florian Chmielewski was inducted into
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| the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame (New Ulm, MN) in 1994, and into Ironworld Discovery Center Polka Hall of Fame (Chisholm, MN) in 1995. Florian’s daughter Patty Chmielewski-Devitt follows in her dad’s famous footsteps as Polka Hall of Fame inductee of 2003. |
Patty’s children have released a new CD entitled “Another Generation”. Which features her 4-year-old daughter Kati, her sister Lexy and brother Nick.
The Chmielewski Family band is welcomed at over 100 National and International venues each year. For over 20 years they have performed at the Minnesota State Fair and currently still perform at the Nations largest ethnic festival, the Hostefest, in Minot, North Dakota. The band has covered more than five million miles traveling to over 10,000 events. They have also produced more than 40 albums, cassettes, CD’s and videos.
Today, this world famous band incorporates multi-generations of Florian's family. They are a youthful and energetic group consisting of a father, brother, daughter & 3 grandkids. While their specialty may be waltzes and polkas, there is also a healthy mix of 50's and 60's music and a heaping of country songs.
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