The Polka Jammer Network

Wally & Maryann Raczkowski
“Wonderful World of Polkas”

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Wally is from the Central Wisconsin community of Kronenwetter which is located between Wausau and Mosinee.  He is a polka musician and bandleader for the Polish Connection Band from Wausau and Stevens Point.  Wally has been playing and listening to polka music since the early 1980’s. Wally started his polka career thanks to his father and brother's band “The Music Aires.”  Then he went on to form the Polish Connection Band in the late 1980s and is still going strong today.  Over the years he has enjoyed building a polka library of albums and live recordings of bands from all around the world.  

Maryann grew up with polka music; her parents would take her every Sunday afternoon to a local polka dance. This is eventually where and how Maryann and Wally met. Actually Maryann and Wally went to Catholic grade school together and she saw him in the school play (mind you Maryann was in 1st grade and Wally in 6th) she had her eyes on him since! In 1988, they started dating and in 1994 they were married. They have 2 children together Emmitt and Alena who love polka music as much as their parents. Emmitt plays the drums and sits in with Wally’s band the Polish Connection, Alena loves to sing and dance.

Maryann’s love and passion for cooking led her to find her “nitch” in 2002 with the gourmet food company: Tastefully Simple as an independent consultant and leader.