The Royal Klobasneks
The Royal Klobasneks are dedicated to preserving the traditional American polka sound of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s for modern audiences. Closest in sound to the ‘Dutchman-style’ bands popular in the American midwest, the Klobasneks have a lively sound that always get the crowd going. They feature a repertoire steeped in Czech, German, and Austrian music, as well as great traditional American polkas, waltzes, and pop tunes.
After years of playing polkas and ethnic music for restaurants, dances, and events, Matt decided to put together a band, so in the summer of 2010, Matt Tolentino assembled a 7-piece traditional polka band. Much like the Singapore Slingers proved a success at adapting his music for full orchestra, the Royal Klobasneks quickly found work preserving the traditional American polka sound for listeners and dancers alike.
A great deal of thanks, and inspiration, is owed to his friend Michael Morris, a native of Temple, TX who boasts a strong appreciation for his Czech heritage. Morris, who’s father led a small brass band, inherited many of the original orchestrations his father played, and inspired Matt to put the group together, and allowed him to make copies of his father’s arrangements, in order to jumpstart the group.