_{Stowarzyszenie Collegium Suprasliense
ul.  Dolna 34, 16-030 Supraśl
strona Collegium Suprasliense na FB}

Recordings  in the hands of Collegium Suprasliense Associantion originally came from Wojciech Załęski’s collection. Załęski was a scupltor, drawer, graphic artist, writer and a journalist – that’s why he was called „podlaski Leonardo” (Leonardo from Podlasie region). He was a teacher in Art High School in Supraśl. Załęski was also a co-founder of Collegium Suprasliense Associantion in which he was publishing the „Supraśl-Nazukos” magazine. He was its editor, main author and illustrator. He left 12 books on Supraśl, history of the town and the surrounding area. He died in 2017.

Wojciech Załęski was also a discerning researcher. He would gather songs, tales and informations about local traditions. He was interested in folk church art, cottage architecture, rituals (weddings, harvest, carolling, funeral), tales and stores of witchcraft, warewolves, witches etc. He was particularly interested in the folklore of the areas of Puszcza Knyszyńska and Sokólszczyzna. The material gathered by Załęski is of a great importance, as those regions are not very well – known among the historians. Their value also comes from the fact that Załęski was familiar with the area he was researching and that people captured on the recordings could still remember the Times when folk traditions were alive and well. Although the recordings have been gathered from a fairly small area, captured dialects, melodies and style vary. Melodic pattern and style of performing often hint at song’s age and the talent of elderly singers. Cultural differences of the region also resonate in the variety of the material. The technical quality of it is very good. The author’s experiance and accuracy in recording the oldest elements of Puszcza Knyszyńska and Sokólszczyzna’s traditional culture is very clear. Wojciech Załęski has left an archive of 20 magnetic reel tapes, 70 cassette tapes and a lot of documents: couple dozens of files with sorted typescripts of lyrics and ethnographic interviews, old photographs taken during recordings and articles. There are hundreds of songs recorded or typescripted. Most of them were gathered by Załęski in early 70s. Wojciech Załęski’s recordings are being digitalized and developed within the Polish traditional music – phonographic heritage project by Magdalena Bill-Kunce and Katarzyna Wińska.