For a moment, Serge Fiori becomes an interviewer

The respect artists have for Serge Fiori is deeply touching. This is what we choose to remember from the project that the songwriter is presenting today, a web show called Chez Padré with Serge Fiori.

Marc-Andre Lemieux
The Press

In this series of intimate interviews posted online on Tuesday, the musician (among many others) swaps his guitar for a host microphone to interview 11 personalities he particularly appreciates. And obviously, the feeling is mutual. We realize this by watching his one-hour interview with Luc Picard, during which the actor and filmmaker responds with great, great generosity to the sometimes clumsy – and often improvised – questions posed by the inimitable leader of Harmonium.

Because Serge Fiori does not have a tight interview plan. In fact, he doesn’t seem to have any at all. But what he does have is an intimate connection with the guest, the result of many years of friendship or high esteem. And that’s what leads to a few scenes we’d never get the chance to witness if Chez Padre (a nickname he’s had for a few years) followed a traditional talk show format. Among them, let us point out the moment when Luc Picard loosens up by imitating, to please the singer, Michel Chartrand. Or when he talks about Henri, his 20-year-old son.

We could compare Chez Padré with Serge Fiori to The other noon at the next table, this ICI Première radio show now available in a TV version, in which two artists hold a frank conversation over a meal. But that would be dishonest, and above all very disadvantageous for Chez Padre. The budgets of the two meetings being far from being equivalent, expectations must be tempered on the side of the rhythm (a tighter editing would have made it possible to eliminate several dead times), on the side of the research and on the side of the decoration (a black curtain, two chairs, a green plant, a side table covered with a tablecloth and a Buddha’s head).

Tributes

The shootings of Chez Padre all took place last year at Serge Fiori’s, in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, the region he has been living for almost two years. Besides Luc Picard, Michel Côté, Guylaine Tremblay, Normand Brathwaite, Luc Dionne, Isabel Richer, Michel Barrette, France Castel, Régis Labeaume, Anne Dorval and Louis-Jean Cormier took part in the adventure.

In videoconference, the love and admiration they feel for Fiori crossed the screen. Luc Picard praised his qualities as an interviewer, stressing that he had “completely forgotten that he was giving an interview”. “Serge introduced me to people as I had never been introduced,” said the actor.

In a pre-recorded message, Michel Barrette spoke of an interview “between buddies” and a “tremendous” experience.

Normand Brathwaite felt so comfortable with Fiori that they were forced to do the interview in its entirety. Things would have gotten out of hand after just a few minutes, revealed the host of beautiful and bum.

For his part, Luc Dionne said that he let himself go and that he felt no judgment from the artist, only listening.

Finally, Régis Labeaume declared that he had “never gone so far” in an interview. “It’s just with a guy you like that you can do that,” said the former mayor of Quebec.

When we questioned him about the unpublished revelations he allegedly made, Mr. Labeaume remained evasive, however. “I spat out a couple of pieces that I had for a long time, on my parents, for example. And professionally, people have often told me about the successes I’ve had. Serge took me on my failures. »

On-demand interviews

To know the exact content of Régis Labeaume’s confidences, you will have to pay $ 3.99, the price at which each one-on-one is offered at chezpadreavecsergefiori.ca. Fans can pick up the full season for $29.99. Promotional material is also on sale, such as mugs, t-shirts, highball glasses, caps, toques, shampoo and even exfoliating soaps.

This business model suits Serge Fiori, who produces the show with Michael Gagnon, Suzanne Richard and Hélène Lévesque, his spouse. In a virtual round table, the composer of Dixie indicated that by creating his own download platform, he enjoyed a freedom that he would not have found elsewhere.

This is not the first time that Serge Fiori has developed a project on the fringes of traditional distribution channels. Launched in December 2020, the album Symphonic Harmonium – Stories Without Words is not offered in stores, on Spotify, on Apple Music or by any other giant of the streaming. It is only available at harmoniumsymphonique.com. Moreover, a show inspired by the record will be presented at the Cogeco Amphitheater in Trois-Rivières starting May 24, with Luce Dufault and Kim Richardson in particular.

Serge Fiori also participates in the show and album project Symphonic Riopellededicated to the painter Jean Paul Riopelle, whose 100^and birthday in 2023.

Series Chez Padré with Serge Fiori is available at chezpadreavecsergefiori.ca.