‘Tolka Polka’: the tune Kate Bush called the perfect dance song
With Kate Bush being as ethereal, mystic, and effervescent as she is, it’s probably not surprising that she is drawn to the irresistible lure of Irish traditional music.
But in other ways, the genre is just worlds apart from anything she has ever done: even with the whimsical trails of ‘Wuthering Heights’, there has always been a certain cinematic quality to her work which seems acutely aware of its aesthetic; yes, she is frolicking through a field, but it is done with a very special lens of artistic embodiment in mind. When it comes to Irish traditional tunes, the idea of something being skewed to fit a certain perception simply doesn’t ring true to its heart.
All of this is to say that while Bush represents a beacon of freedom within music, it’s the brutal reality that she can never fully let herself go because there was always the next album to record, single to promote, or video to shoot. Essentially, it was freedom within the confines of a meticulous schedule. As such, in the finite windows when she was given the chance to creatively explore, let her hair down, and truly run wild, there was only one place she would look to find that true rush of exhilaration.
It may not be an obvious choice that many outside the Irish isles will have come across before, but ‘Tolka Polka’ by Dónal Lunny stands as not only a staple of the country’s traditional music, but also a favourite of Bush’s to allow her to dance the night away. She explained this in a 20005 interview where she was citing her list of top ten tracks from around the world, saying of Lunny’s tune: “I defy anyone to listen to this and not to want immediately to get up and dance. This is a fabulous example of how exciting Irish music can be and I am a great admirer of Dónal’s work. He appears on my albums The Dreaming, The Sensual World and Hounds of Love.”
Indeed, as the blitzing speed of the fiddle and guitar race through ‘Tolka Polka’, it does seem impossible not to be invigorated by it in some capacity, whether it mentally transports you straight into the heart of Ireland or simply implores you to get up and dance, wherever you may be in the world. In Bush’s case, it’s clear that when she gets the opportunity to uncover some hidden gems and take inspiration from different kinds of music, in all its forms, she feels a certain gravitation towards the heart of something traditional.
Of course, in some ways this might seem at odds with the other aspect of the image the singer has always conveyed: one of freshness, being on the cutting edge, and ahead of her time. But put simply, you cannot cultivate an artistic vision like this if you do not have a solid root of education first. In turn, this means having a flavour of everything in your midst, whether it’s Irish traditionalism, hints of jazz, or the most mainstream of all chart pop.
In the end, this is ultimately how you make the greatest amount of headway in broadening your own artistic horizons, as well as that of others. Bush admitted that Lunny became a friend and colleague afterwards, appearing on a number of her albums. You could say, in this sense, that she is a woman always searching for the next new thing. But whether it was an obligation for her work over the years or not, it’s also a spirit embedded in her soul.
