Passion Project - Mateusz Fenrych talked to Sławek Orwat about Polisz Czart (Nowy Czas 198)

Jakiś czas temu zadzwonił do mnie Mateusz Fenrych z propozycją, której dotychczas od nikogo nie otrzymałem. Była ona dla mnie sporym zaskoczeniem, ale jednocześnie potraktowałem ją jako miłą niespodziankę. Mateusz urodził się w Wielkiej Brytanii i mieszka w niej do dnia dzisiejszego. Niedawno ukończył The London School of Journalism i jednym z zadań jakie tam otrzymał, było zawarcie w 1000 słów sylwetki człowieka, który - w opinii Mateusza - zasługuje na taką prezentację w związku z tym, czym na co dzień się zajmuje. Otrzymałem więc od Mateusza propozycję spotkania i nagrania rozmowy, podczas której miałem zaprezentować radiowy program Polisz Czart, nadawany z położonego niedaleko Londynu St. Albans. Nasza rozmowa dotyczyła historii audycji Polisz Czart od momentu, gdy jej idea narodziła się w mojej głowie, aż po dzień dzisiejszy.

Rodzina Mateusza od prawie dziesięciu lat jest mi bardzo bliska. Jego ojciec - Włodek jest - podobnie jak ja - dziennikarzem londyńskiego pisma Nowy Czas, o czym wspominałem tutaj. Włodka fascynacje bluesem prezentowałem tu, a o jego podróżach pisałem tutaj. Siostra Mateusza również zapisała się w historii mojego dziennikarstwa muzycznego. Półtora roku temu Justyna podjęła się tłumaczenia zamieszczonego w Nowym Czasie wywiadu jaki przeprowadziłem z Leszkiem Możdżerem dla brytyjskiego magazynu London Jazz, a efekt jej pracy można znaleźć tutaj. Bardzo bliską mi osobą była także niedawno zmarła mama Mateusza, której pamięć uczciłem przed ponad rokiem tym wspomnieniem.

Mateusz o sobie:

Urodziłem się w Londynie w polskiej rodzinie i całe życie mieszkam w Anglii. Dorastałem posługując się językiem angielskim i polskim, którego - pomimo, że niezbyt płynnie - cały czas używam. Znajomość języka polskiego pozwoliła mi poznać wielu Polaków, którzy pojawili się w Anglii po roku 2004. Studiowanie scenariusza filmowego i telewizyjnego na Uniwersytecie w Bournemouth jak na razie nie przyniosło zbyt wielkich sukcesów. Nie widząc jednak swojej przyszłości poza pisaniem, ukończyłem London School of Journalism, otrzymując dyplom tej uczelni i to właśnie w tym zawodzie będę chciał spędzić najbliższe miesiące i lata. Jestem wielkim fanem dziennikarstwa sportowego. Mimo, że właśnie na tym polu chciałbym się spełniać jako dziennikarz, mam też wielki podziw dla tych dziennikarzy, którzy zajmują się polityką, konfliktami wojennymi lub wolnością obywateli jak Hunter S Thompson, Patrick Cockburn w przeszłości, a ostatnio Glen Greenwald .

Mateusz about yourself:

"I was born in London to Polish parents and have lived in England my whole life. I was raised speaking English and Polish, which I still speak, albeit not fluently. However, it has allowed me to engage with many Polish people who have made their way to England since 2004. I went to University in Bournemouth, where I studied writing for film and TV, but so far that hasn't brought me a great deal of success. However, I cannot see myself pursuing a career in any other profession than writing, so I recently got a diploma from the London School of Journalism, and will be concentrating on this pursuit over the next few months and years. I am a big fan of sports writing - many of the writers I follow write in this field - but I also have a great admiration for journalists who cover politics, war and civil liberty, such as the late Hunter S Thompson, Patrick Cockburn and more recently, Glen Greenwald."

A oto w jaki sposób postrzega mnie Mateusz:

fot. Monika S. Jakubowska

Slawek Orwat is a very easy interviewee. We’re sat in his living room-cum-flat, talking about his hobby. It is a small neat room, with an ergonomic focus centered around his computer. Like a workplace – I’d suggest, perhaps, like a studio. And I’d wager that even with little-to-no introduction, an attentive observer would be able to deduce what Slawek’s passion is, before he even mentioned it himself. Short questions beget long answers. But they’re not rambling repartee; they are the answers of a man who is very well aware of how an answer to a question sounds to an audience. With the deftness that a radio host might dream of from an interviewee, Slawek hits his talking points methodically, and often expands his answers in ways which means I can often strike questions from my list one after the other. He starts chronologically when it comes to telling his story: “I wanted to start up a community radio station. Something for the migrant Polish population, whether they be English-born of Polish descent, or Polish born and settled in England. Polish language music stations did and do exist, that is undeniable, but they tend to be focused on one thing – just reggae, or politics mixed with music. My aim is to create a program that allows all kinds of artists to gain a bit of recognition, while also creating a jovial, informal atmosphere on air while we talk about and around the music.”

With impeccable journalist’s instincts, he’d set up a dictaphone of his own, so he was effectively recording me recording him, saying that his own recording may be of use to him down the line. It’s an odd sensation, but the lack of effort needed on my part to extract answers means it’s not a chore. “I set up Polisz Czart because I felt that Polish alternative music is being under-represented. Even in Poland, new bands, alternative bands, they get ignored and brushed aside. The point of Polisz Czart is that listeners can not only hear music by alternative musicians, such as Volumeyes or Human Control, but also use our website to find out further information on the acts themselves.”

As he talks, it’s clear that he’s approached this interview in a manner that he may approach an on-air interview that he is leading; he clicks through several pre-loaded tabs on his computer, offering me samples of music that, true to the ethos of his radio station, I would have never heard before; soft, lilting Polish-language prog-rock from popular young-guns Katedra, to harder-edged metal music that just begs me to headbang along to, singing- as it were - in English. The very name of the radio station gives a clue as to the nature of Slawek’s program; Polisz Czart is a play on words, albeit one only Polish speakers will appreciate. A ‘czart’ in polish is a kind of devil, willing to act out of the norm. And the station Polisz Czart is of a similar bent.

Interview Assignment:

fot. Rafał Pikul

“I think that my program, while small, is unique in one important aspect. The internet for us is our most important platform, and it allows us to reach a global audience. We have regular listeners in Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. When we managed to get hosted on a Canadian internet radio platform, our audience numbers rocketed. From just friends and family listening when we started four years ago, to two hundred and fifty listeners a year-and-a-half ago, we now have a regular listener base of almost one thousand.”

He’s obviously very enamoured of his passion project. He’s in tune with it to the point that the interview itself has taken on the form of a broadcast; Slawek holding a discourse while punctuating it with pauses to show me examples of the music he plays, and to look at the station’s website to give me an idea of what sort of background he displays on the web that people can look up. Midway through the interview too, he turns the tables and decides to ask me a question regarding the whole operation. I tell him that despite the small scale, I’m very interested to note just how all-encompassing his efforts are. I have an admiration for just how much effort he’s putting in. Unlike a more mainstream radio station, Slawek’s interests are focussed on finding new talent. So he can’t wait for people to wait and present themselves to him through a PR company or the like; he utilises the website and his blogs to encourage people to put forward suggestions for bands to air. It’s paying off.

fot. Monika S. Jakubowska

“When we began, and I was seeking new material to present, I had absolutely no luck with finding bands in London to come and talk, or promote themselves. Now, after the success of our weekly one hour Radio Veralum slot, and with our efforts to stream our broadcasts over the internet, along with the popularity of our Facebook page, we are seeing a shift in the bands we get to present. It’s split fifty-fifty between Polish-based underground artists, and those who live in England and sing in English.”

The influence of the Polisz Czart brand is growing in influence, too. Just a couple of days after our interview, Slawek is due in Poland to host an alternative music showcase.

“Our logo is now getting recognised when I go back over to Poland for any radio interviews or the like. I’m also pleased to say that I believe that our internet broadcast is one of the top ten listened Polish radio stations.” 

It’s impressive for a program put together in Slawek and his three co-presenter’s spare time, and all for free. I ask him whether he sees a future where he gets paid doing this, which is evidently what he loves. “I could, but this would involve leaving England, especially if I want to expand our efforts, get more air-time. But for the moment I feel a real responsibility for a program which has gained some traction, and I really don’t want to let our audience down.”