Mark Kohan

Mark Kohan may be the leader from the Buffalo, NY polka music group Metal Town Brass, which specializes in polkas predicated on traditional Polish folk melodies. An associate from the music group since its inception in 1977, Kohan presently may be the group’s vocalist, concertina and guitarist. Kohan was created March 24, 1960 in Lackawanna, NY. Organizing a rock-band in 1974, Kohan became a member of a wedding music group in 1975. After many years of playing in a variety of bands being a pickup drummer, Kohan helped organize Metal Town Brass in August of 1977, overtaking leadership a calendar year later. Beginning on drums, Kohan afterwards added electric guitar and accordion to his device responsibilities with Metal Town Brass. In 1991, Kohan attained a concertina. Having prior studied the device with Dave “Scrubby” Seweryniak of Buffalo’s Dynatones and Casey Kliszak of Content Richie’s Polka Music group, Kohan soon fell the accordion, and is constantly on the play concertina and electric guitar with the music group today. Documenting four albums with Metal Town Brass, Kohan provides recorded many singles and is a visitor musician on many tasks. In 1987, he created Polkas for Kids for the Polish Community Middle of Buffalo, an record that was funded by the brand new York Condition Council over the Arts as well as the Country wide Endowment for the Arts. In 1989, he created A Kolberg Sampler (once again for the Polish Community Middle of Buffalo), which taken to existence in polka type the folk music of Poland as transcribed by ethnomusicologist Oscar Kolberg. In 1994, with Jerry Darlak, he created A Polish Town Xmas, a assortment of Polish Xmas Carols, documented in the “Aged Nation” or “Polish Town Style.” Throughout his profession, he has stuffed in with several bands like a drummer, concertina, piano and guitarist, like the Dynatones, Content Richie’s Polka Band, Blend ‘n Match, Honky Hoppers, the Contact, Sunlight, Bellares, G-Notes while others. Kohan can be the editor-in-chief from the Polish American Journal, the country’s largest self-employed English-language monthly newspapers. In that capability, he offers penned over 500 content articles varying on topics from polka music histories, equipment and instrumentation, and information coverage, furthermore to editorials and commentaries essential to Us citizens of Polish descent. A dynamic person in the Polish American community, he provides offered as treasurer and third vice leader from the Polish American Traditional Association, a delegate from the Polish American Congress, elector towards the International Polka Association Hall of Popularity, and many various other offices and consultations. Kohan provides received many honours for his efforts to polka music and function inside the Polish community, including commendations in the Polish American Traditions Committee of Cheektowaga, NY, the Ampol Eagle paper, the Polish American Traditional Culture, the Polish Community Middle of Buffalo as well as the Polish American Congress. In 1999, Metal Town Brass released Polish Picnic Favorites over the Cultural World Information label. Kohan resides in Hamburg, NY along with his wife, Kyle, and kid, Justin. Kyle has clarinet and saxophone using the Metal City Brass.