jazz music – The Concordian

Bar Datcha switches vibes with jazz and tarot every Thursday

Walking through the doors of Bar Kabinet on Laurier Ave. W., adjacent is Bar Datcha. The warm yellow light in the entrance dances off the walls and drink glasses at the bar, creating a magical atmosphere. Patrons sit drinking and chatting with the bartenders, while a low hum of jazz music emanates from within the walls.

To the right of the bar, black curtains lead the way to the main event: a jazz band performance, and tarot card reading. Opposite to the entrance, the room has pitch-black walls with dim lighting and cloud-like smoke, setting an “1830s Parisian opium bar” vibe.
At the table across from the band sits Samuel Bonneau Varfalvy, organizer and tarot reader, waiting for his next client. He’s lively and interactive, making it feel like those who speak with him already know him. Varfalvy is an artist, manager and musician, who also teaches music. With his partner, Isaac Larose, a nightclub promoter, he brought to life the idea of jazz and tarot in a nightclub. “This whole [tarot reading] thing started a couple of years ago,” said Varfalvy. “I became a little obsessed with tarot after reading about it and learning.”

“He went crazy and started bringing his taxi drivers in the apartment for readings,” Larose said with a laugh. “We’re roommates and I was just like ‘that’s not okay.’ My girlfriend then suggested we look for somewhere to do this in.”

The duo started the concept of jazz and tarot last year, at The Emerald on Park Ave. That only lasted about five months partly due to, according to Valvarfy, misconceptions about the nature of tarot. “There’s a very strong Jewish community [there], and a lot of Hasidic people associate tarot with dark magic and witchcraft,” Valfarvy said. “They thought I was a sorcerer or something.” He shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

After the Emerald, the pair found Bar Datcha and thought it was the exact embodiment of their vision. “I think a lot of people would not necessarily go see a tarot reader,” said Larose. “If you put it in a different context where it’s really easy to just try it, people might end up liking it.” The aim of this unusual pairing was also to encourage people who would perhaps not go on their own to have a fun and unorthodox experience.

As for choosing Datcha, Larose, who has worked with other clubs such as Tokyo Bar, wanted to take the already popular vibe and see what else could be added to it. “We wanted this little bar where there’s tarot, and we feel like we’re in an opium bar in 1830s Paris,” said Varfalvy. “And Isaac said, ‘Oh we should add in some jazz,’ and we were like ‘Let’s call it Jazz and Tarot.’”

Varfalvy’s main influence in the world of tarot reading is Alejandro Jodorowsky, a mystic, healer and cult filmmaker who has studied tarot reading in depth. “He’s a psychedelic movie director,” Varfalvy said with a smile. “[Jodorowsky] found the old Tarot de Marseilles from the 16th century, technically the original cards, and he reprinted [them] using this old tarot card printer in France.”

To Varfalvy, tarot is a performance art in a way. “There’s nothing magical or mystical about tarot to me,” said Varfalvy. “It was a sort of card game, and for some reason, people started using them for like 16th century psychology.”

Varfalvy has a methodology he follows when reading cards. His technique revolves around two foundations. The first is accepting that it is not magic, but psychology. The second is accepting that the future cannot be known, simply anticipated. “The cards point to a relationship with the future that you have,” said Varfalvy. “It’s one of two things: you either desire it or fear it.”

Varfalvy gives the deck of cards to his client and asks them to think of a question while shuffling it—for orientation and direction. He then takes the cards and spreads them in a semicircle on the table, and asks the client to pick three cards out of the pool. According to him, the first one to his right is past, the middle is present, and the last one is future.

“I’ve never done tarot reading before, so there was some apprehension and skepticism going in,” said Cameron Begin, an event attendee. “My friend told me to try it for experience, and often there are people who are good at connecting. Immediately, I felt that I connected to Sam, and kind of surrendered to him and what he had to say. As the cards began to fall and he read them, it felt like he did have a strong intuition. It gave me food for thought.”

At 11:30 p.m., Datcha switches to techno and becomes a full-blown nightclub. In the meantime, Varfalvy continues doing readings for those Larose brings him.

“Bring me my next victim,” Varfalvy said with a laugh, welcoming the next person to the chair across from him.

Bar Datcha (98 Laurier Ave. W.) hosts Jazz and Tarot nights every Thursday.

Feature image by Fatima Dia.

Jazz singer David Marino reflects on third-place La Voix win

In the 21st century, when the youth of today turn to electronic music for audible entertainment, it has become absurd to believe any person under the age of 50 can enjoy the tenderness of jazz music. Yet, for David Marino—last year’s third-place winner of French talent competition La Voix—singing the jazz standards of the early 20th century has become second nature.

As his father pressed play on “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” a 1937 George and Ira Gershwin song featuring Frank Sinatra, for his eight-year-old son in 2006, he incidentally pressed play on Marino’s blossoming passion for jazz. About a year earlier, Marino’s mother, Angela Vitulano, had realized her son would fall in love with jazz. “He wanted to buy a fedora at the age of seven,” she said. This is a style of hat worn by many jazz singers, notably Frank Sinatra.

“I feel the music in my bones,” said Marino, a Rivière-des-Prairies native. “It’s just a connection I have to the music; it’s hard to explain.” This connection is something John Gilbert, who has been Marino’s voice coach since 2011, also felt as he helped Marino widen his musical prowess.

It all started with Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé, without whom Marino said he would never have been encouraged to explore other jazz artists and diversify his tastes. “I’d pick Sammy Davis Jr.,” Marino said when asked who he would like to sit down and have a chat with. “He would bring my performance abilities to the next level.”

“Music is not only about singing the songs you like,” Marino added, “but also making sure the audience will enjoy whatever you sing.” This is something he quickly understood through coaching sessions with Gilbert. Marino performs with the intelligence and wit of an experienced jazz singer, and excels in charming his audience with fancy suits and melodious tunes.

Now 19, the young singer has devoted a lot of time and effort to his career. As the old saying goes, “practice makes perfect,” and Marino couldn’t agree more. When asked about his learning process, Marino said there is no limit to how often he can rehearse a song. “First, you learn the song and the melody, which could take 30 minutes depending on how long the song is,” he said. “Then, I repeat it to find different ways of singing each note.”

For Marino, analyzing the lyrics of a song is also a crucial part of his interpretation, as it allows him to express the proper emotions and understand the message behind the song. “Singing a lyric is harder than singing the melody,” he said.

Marino’s family played an important role in the young crooner’s career. In fact, his parents introduced him to the style of music he now cherishes and encouraged him to take singing lessons. Regardless of the challenges, his family continues to encourage him to pursue a career in music. “We love supporting and just love to listen to him,” said Vitulano with a twinkle in her eyes.

“My parents were the ones who encouraged me to do the show,” Marino said about participating on La Voix, Quebec’s adaptation of The Voice. Although coming in third place didn’t change his life, it allowed Marino to showcase his talent to a large Quebec audience. “It is an amazing learning experience,” he said.

Prior to his success on La Voix, Marino juggled variety shows, local competitions and benefit concerts. “David uses his talent to help others,” his mother said. “For example, he’s using his concerts to raise money for mental health,” a cause close to the young artist’s heart.

Marino described the show as a gathering of people doing what they love most, where spirits are high and interactions are positive. “La Voix was the most exciting project I have completed to this day,” Marino said, but he remains hopeful that more stimulating projects will arise in the near future.

Despite the importance of the competition, Marino remained grounded and always remembered his roots. “I love to sing, because I love to perform,” he said. “I learned what being ‘popular’ means in the music industry.” Although it can be overwhelming to have people approach him, Marino reminds himself that music is the reason he began singing.

Inspired by his coach on La Voix, Pierre Lapointe, Marino is adamant that music is not all about the fame. Even though the show gives contestants connections and exposure, La Voix remains a difficult adventure that requires a lot of hard work and devotion, he insisted. “If an artist entering La Voix thinks the show will give them a career, they are completely wrong,” Marino said.

On April 14, Marino will be performing at the Salle Gesù. Accompanying him on stage will be top-notch jazz musicians under the musical direction of John Gilbert and special guest Shy Shy Schullie, another former contestant on La Voix.