Thank you to the Polish American Radio show hosted by Andy “Andrzej” Gołębiowski. Thank you so much to Andy for playing my tracks on WEBR1440.com over the last month : Red, Red Rose (Katy Carr from her Paszport Album) Freedom Song from my album Providence

Listen to the show below :

TRANSCRIPT BELOW

What Andy said ‘Katy Carr is a Polish – Scottish singer who writes and sings songs about Poland and Polish heroes. Some of you will remember her concerts here in Buffalo a few years ago, and her album Paszport. Since then she’s recorded two albums – the last one is called Providence and it’s coming out October, 30. Here is a sample from it in a song called Freedom Song which talks about freedom found after family estrangement and trauma, but can also translate into Poland finding its own freedom after being miserable and alone for so many years…

Andy plays Freedom Song

I hope you are dancing to this wherever you are in the kitchen, in your living room or your garage or in the back yard raking the leaves. Every one of these albums is different. This new album will be released on October 30 but you can pre order a signed copy at katycarr.com. You know, artists have been locked out of venues or concerts because of this Corona thing going on, and so they can use all the help they can get especially the independent artists, so please visit katycarr.com and preorder a signed copy for yourself of her latest album called Providence…

Here is the recording of the program which Red Rose opened, on Soundcloud: The Polish-American Program – Episode 5 by WEBR Radio

More on Andy here 🙂 https://ampoleagle.com/new-radio-show-is-a-labor-of-love-p14856-226.htm this article below was published on the day of my album release !

For his entire life, Andy Gołębiowski has been passionate about his Polish heritage. Whether in his work, his volunteer activities, or his hobbies, he has always tried to promote Polish culture. Knowing that, it’s no surprise that he has taken on the challenge of hosting a new and unique Polish American radio show.
The long-time Polonian activist is now the host of a new radio show called The Polish American Program. It can be heard Saturday mornings at 11 a.m. locally on WEBR 1440 AM and online locally and worldwide at WEBR1440.com. The one hour show features a wide variety of music from Poland, the U.S., and other countries, introduced in English. 

Andy was born in Buffalo to Polish immigrants, and grew up in a home steeped in Polish culture. He attended Bishop Turner High School, Buffalo State College and the University at Buffalo.  
He’s widely known for his work as a photojournalist, and has been employed at WNED Channel 17, WGRZ Channel 2, and at the Diocese of Buffalo’s Daybreak Productions for the last couple of decades, as well as doing much independent production work. But when Andy got an offer to have his own radio show, he just couldn’t refuse.
Earlier this year Niagara Falls-based WJJL AM  1440, was purchased by Kenmore Broadcasting, headed by Bill Yuhnke, and the call letters were changed to WEBR. 
Once a legendary station known as “the Sound of the City,” 27 years ago the original WEBR became WNED. The revived WEBR offers a “Standards of Excellence” music format inspired by the Great American Songbook,  and a variety of other programming.
It was through a former WGRZ colleague, Mike Igoe, that Andy was connected to general manager Don Angelo, who was looking for the right person to host a Polish program. That offer came at the right time for Andy.
During the Covid pandemic he had been connecting with friends through Facebook live. “I would walk and talk about the lockdown, trying to stay positive,” he explained. “I’d talk about my interests, like cooking and gardening, and the response was great.” He thought he could bring the same approach to the radio show.
Even though he’s a photojournalist, Andy is no neophyte at radio. He worked at student stations at Bishop Turner High School and Buffalo State College, where he earned a degree in sociology. 
He didn’t pursue radio at the time because “there were no free-form radio stations where I could play the music I wanted to play.”
Andy is also very familiar with Polish and Polish American issues. He has been involved with a number of local organizations throughout his life, including the Permanent Chair of Polish Culture at Canisius College and the Polish American Congress, WNY Division. He has also lent his video production skills to a variety of Polonian projects, including the acclaimed WNED-produced documentary, Polonia.
Politically active for a time,  Andy worked on the staff of Fillmore District Council Member David Franczyk. It was during that period that he picked up a weekend gig, doing the News in Polish on the radio for broadcasting legend Stan “Stas” Jasinski. “It was a great learning experience for me,” Andy recalled.
Gołębiowski had to leave that broadcasting job when he decided to make a run for public office. Later he worked for Washington, D.C.-based Sister Cities International as Municipal Exchange Program Coordinator. He was able to utilize his governmental experience to help coordinate training for newly elected Polish local government officials in the post-communist era. 
Andy eventually decided to go back to school and pursue a Master’s degree in Media Studies at the University at Buffalo. He worked his way through as a teaching assistant, and soon launched a successful career as a photojournalist.
However, when the opportunity arose this year to host his own radio show on WEBR, he jumped at the chance. Although he’s fluent in Polish and even works as an interpreter, Andy wanted to do his radio show in English.
“There are many Polish Americans, particularly third and fourth generation ones, who feel cut off from the culture because they can’t speak the language,” he says. “I hope this will bring people who’ve been away from their Polish heritage for a while much closer to it.”
Andy explains that he isn’t competing with the local polka radio shows, but instead offers a wide range of music from Poland, a country he has visited numerous times. The musical selections are wide-ranging, including folk, jazz and patriotic. 
He likes to tell stories about the music he plays, and often provides a local connection. For example, if he plays a piece by Paderewski he also gives some background on the great pianist and statesman, and explains why a street in Buffalo was named in his honor. 
He also delivers community news and information. A recent show marked the anniversary of the election of Pope John Paul II, and local residents offered their memories of that event. There have been some interviews, and Andy’s looking at doing more. 
Andy’s also excited about being on WEBR, pointing out that the groundbreaking Fr. Justin Rosary Hour was first broadcast on that station in 1922. Andy is also proud of the station’s current lineup of unique and diverse programming, and adds that WEBR has been “very helpful, very accommodating.”
Having a content-based show,  Andy admits that a lot of effort is required but maintains, “It’s a mission.” 
It helps that listeners and sponsors have responded enthusiastically to the program, and many have asked that it be expanded to more than an hour. “This could become a full-time job – or a very expensive hobby,” he laughs. However, he is intrigued by what he could do with another hour of programming.
Andy explains that the way that people listen to radio has changed, and that the best signal for his show is on the Internet. Many listeners tune in to the show through a smart phone app. He’s happy to help anyone get the app on the phone. Just contact Andy at 716-510-7562 or andywebr1440@gmail.com. The online signal is available at WebrRadio.com.
The show not only airs on Saturday mornings at 11 a.m., but it is now rebroadcast the following Sunday evening at 5 p.m.
For Andy Gołębiowski, having his own radio show is just one more way that he can share Polish culture with others and help pass it on to future generations. It’s a lot of work, but it’s truly a labor of love.