Texas Polka Music Museum
The Czechs claim to have invented polka music; their word pulka means “half-step,” matching the 2/4 time characteristic of the style. But the Polish also take credit for polka, claiming Czechs adopted the style only after seeing a Polish girl performing it. Whichever story is true, in the mid-1800s, European immigrants to Texas brought with them their brand of polka – the accordion leading German and Czech polkas, and the fiddle leading Polish polkas. The German vereins – or associations – became the preservers of polka music, which is still played in the dance halls around the state.
Besides serving as a listing for polka DJs and bands, the Texas Polka Music Museum features exhibits of the instruments, bands, photos, and costumes that make up polka’s rollicking history in Texas.