Sikora, Michał

Born in Koniaków [SSE of Wisła], lived in Mała Łączka (a "fraction" of Koniaków); He was the oldest of five siblings; When eight years old, he became an orphan; At the age of 17, he fought in World War I, and became seriously ill with malaria; In 1923 he married Maria Kawulok from Cisów; They had 9 children, 2 of whom died shortly after birth; Zuzanna Kawulok remembered that he occasionally played, from boyhood, together with her father, Jan Kawulok "uod Wojtosza", at a "pasiynia" [pasienia?] by a "szałas" [mountaineer’s hut/shelter] at Barania Góra [NNW of Koniaków]; There, they composed various "bojtki" [?], [which they found "przedziwy" [wonderful?]; At weddings they usually played together with Babciok of Leścina [i.e. violinist Paweł Sikora „Babcziok” of Istebna-Leszczyna; ws] and later with Jónek [i.e. violinist Jan Matuszny "Jónecziek"; ws] of Wołowa [a quarter of Koniaków]; At the invitation of the Polish embassy, he and Jan sailed, with the "Podhalan" ensemble, to America, by MS "Batory", on January 5, 1939; After his return, on March 7, 1939, he started, together with a friend, violinist Jan Haratyk (1879-1930), to build a house, from the money earned in America; Michał, who was also a great singer, played more than 30 years together with Jan Matuszny; They formed a "kapela" [i.e. a duo; ws] in the regional ensemble "Koniaków", in which piper Jan Kawulok and violinist Michał Juroszek played, as well; At the beginning of the 20th century, when Michał started playing, Jan Juroszek "Przigóniok" of Istebna gave (!) him one of his Gajdy; His son Jan inherited his father’s talent and the Gajdy.