Kawulok, Jan [a]

Born and lived in Istebna [S of Wisła]; Though he had ten siblings, his parents intended him to be educated as a doctor (physician), but for financial reasons his education ended with primary school; He received his first instrument (a Fujarka) from his father. In his childhood, he grazed cows. When he heard a gajdosz for the first time, the music made a huge impression on him, and he made his first Gajdy before World War I; Having already measured the length of a gajdzica and the distances between its fingerholes, he borrowed, with the support of his brother Michał, the Gajdy from Jan Krężelok "Pendyja", and secretly dismantled the "dymlok" [bellows], just to find out how to make that part; Though the finished instrument was not very successful, it was bought by gajdosz Jan Wolny of Mikszówka; His second Gajdy was much better; He used to play it already at "śkubaćki" [➺ Bernadeta Marekwica; ws] with [? (First name unknown)] Kohut "z Mlaskawki" [of Mlaskawka, a district in the NE of Istebna; ws]; The third one was purchased by Jan Wałach, who still plays on it today [i.e. 2014; ws]; Jan Kawulok’s teacher was Jan Juroszek "Przigóniok", with whom he started playing when he was only 14 years old, and from whom he probably also had valuable knowledge about building Gajdy; In 1915 he made his first violin, and after that also several kinds of traditional pastoral instruments: Gajdy, Wallachian Trombita (a kind of straight "alpine horn"), Rog (a short straight horn), and Fujarki (flutes), all of which he played with great virtuosity; During 1918-1920 he worked in a mine in France to earn a living; After his return, he helped in the field, and worked during 5 years, together with Michał Sikora "Sikorka", at the "sałasz" [mountaineer’s shelter] on Barania Góra [the second highest mountain in the Silesian Beskids; ws], where he heard a lot of folk tales, thanks to which he became a great storyteller; After a day’s work, he played the Gajdy, together with Michał Sikora; In 1931 he married Franciszka Legierska, with whom he lived in Istebna "u Wojtosza"; As a faithful pupil of R[obert] Szotkowski, he was involved, for many years, in pomology [the science of fruit cultivation; ws], and had about 220 varieties of apples in his orchard; Having read many medical books, most often at night, because during the day there was no time at all, he was also known as a folk doctor, a "bone-setter"; With a comfrey ointment (from the root of Symphytum officinale, a method that he inherited from his grandmother, who was a herbalist) he has healed many of the inhabitants of the "Trójwieś [Triple village] Beskidzka" [i.e. Istebna, Koniaków, and Jaworzynka [triangle S-SSE of Wisła]; ws] for a symbolic "God bless you", which aroused gratitude, admiration and respect in all the people who knew him; After World War II, he was a member of the regional teams "Istebna" and "Koniaków", and his artistic creativity flourished; Father of Zuzanna, he was not only the most famous builder of Gajdy, but also an extremely talented musician, and he made household appliances, furniture, &c., as well; Katarzyna & Maciej Szymonowiczowie, who consider him "one of the great deceased builders" (➺ Jan Juroszek "uod Deja" and "stary" Wojtas), distinguish four stages in his output, and describe the instruments that reveal the characteristics for each of those periods; Failing to define their relationship with Jan and Zuzanna, they also mention 2 namesakes, Józef Kawulok "Zmudek" (*1961), who is also a piper and maker of Gajdy, and his father (also Józef, who played the Skrzydłówka [Flugelhorn]); Rather dubiously, they assign Jan Kawulok’s nickname "uod Wojtosza" also twice to a gajdosz of Istebna, named Michał Waszut [who is probably the same person as "Chrómy"; ws]; NB¹: ➺ Jerzy Bestwina, Ludwik Dudka, Jan Kawulok [b], Alojzy Kuźma, Franciszek Marekwica "Julka", Józef Maślanka, Paweł Pilch, Stanisław Wałach, and Michał Waszut "Chrómy"; NB²: ➺ Dudy żywieckie; NB³: ➺ "Music".