Beyond Bella, the seventh edition of the Salone di Cultura. Celebrating Italian-Canadian women artists and creators, takes place at 7 PM on Friday June 8 at Toronto’s 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media & Education. Tickets, at https://salonedicultura.eventbrite.ca include a classic aperitivo curated by culinary partner Dinah Koo.
JAMES STRECKER: If you were asked for 50 words for an encyclopedia to summarize what you do, or have done, in the arts, what would you say?
DANIELA NARDI: I like to produce experiences which expand our relationship to beauty. Experiences which help us think a little, feel a little, and loosen up those shoulders, allowing us to – exhale.
JS: What important beliefs do you express in or through your work?
DN: We have a slow food movement well, I’d like to have a slow life movement. We tend to move way too fast which numbs our senses to beauty. In the work I do, I want to be able to provide a space where people can slow down and reconnect with their relationship to beauty.
JS: Name two people, living or dead, whom you admire a great deal and tell us why for each one.
DN: I admire my parents for what they achieved in their lives. How they came to Canada as young adults and were self-made. Without any help, without the language in hand, they created a rich, full, and creative life.
In terms of work, I admire a promoter in Toronto named Svetlana Dvoretsky of Show One Productions. She packed up her life in Russia, came to Canada, and built an incredible business for herself promoting Russian arts and culture in Toronto and Canada. The artists she has managed to bring to the city, high calibre shows, in A list halls – this is something I dream of doing with Italian artists. She’s a force. I truly admire her.
JS: How have you changed since you began to do creative work?
DN: When I was younger, my work was definitely way more ego driven. Having to prove something, be someone. Now, as I am getting older, I am focused on the work, on the art, on the experience. It isn’t about proving anymore, it’s about doing. I am in this in-between stage where I am not young enough to be relevant, but I am not old enough to be a legend in my circles. And that’s okay. What is satisfying is to know that the work is being done and it has a chance to exist. Period.
JS: What are your biggest challenges as a creative person?
DN: The biggest challenge for me is to not let the solitary practice of the creative work get to me. That is, it takes a lot of time spent alone, with one’s thoughts and drives. Most of the time, we only have ourselves to rely upon because there are no guarantees, no concrete validation about the work. Everything is so intangible, out of our control, that the only thing you can rely upon is yourself. Certainly, that is empowering at the best of times, but at the worst of times, when your insecurities and anxieties get the best of you, it is hard to not succumb to a false narrative which could potentially sabotage the work and its need to be in the world.
JS: Please describe at least one major turning point in your life.
DN: One major turning point in my life was when my mother passed away. Before that, I was pursuing my career in music as a singer/songwriter, writing and singing in English. When she died, I started to go through this identity crisis, wanting to explore my Italian roots which eventually led me to singing in Italian. This then led me to wanting to showcase Italian artists and produce the Salone di Cultura series, something which I never in my wildest dreams thought I would ever do
JS: What are the hardest things for an outsider to understand about what you do?
DN: I don’t fit into a particular category and I think that is hard for most people. For example, in my music, I was never clearly a pop artist or jazz artist or world music artist. I was always a mix of things. As well, my approach has always been more subtle, not bombastic and I think generally, the masses have a hard time with subtle energies. As a result, I tend to come across as mysterious or quiet or a dark horse. I can sometimes fly under the radar and, as I joke with my husband, be so far ahead that I am behind.
JS: How and why did you begin to do creative work in the first place?
DN: First off, I had an uber creative mother so, I think that was transferred to me. She was a fashion designer, had a deep love for music and photography. Everything she did, her reason for being was to create. She, by example, provided an environment that encouraged me to pursue and nurture my creative impulses.
JS: What haven’t you attempted as yet that you would like to do and please tell us why?
DN: I have always had an interest in photography. A deep interest, as a matter of fact. It is a true exercise in being present, in the Now. Being mindful, attentive to moments which perhaps may pass by others, but you have managed to capture it for eternity.
JS: What are your most meaningful achievements?
DN: There is one of my recordings which is the most meaningful to me and that is, “The Rose Tattoo”. The songs were written at the time my mother was going through her cancer battle. Each song is like a mini autobiography – I realize this in hindsight. It is my deepest, most raw work, in honour of her. The album wasn’t really a commercial success but, artistically, it was for me. I would also say that creating the Salone di Cultura was another meaningful achievement. To be able to create an environment where I am able to showcase the traditions and innovations of a culture of which I am most proud.
JS: What advice would you give a young person who would like to do what you do?
DN: A life in the arts is not for the faint at heart. Be prepared for much frustration, disappointments, and develop a thick skin. Work on your business, work with integrity and stay true to your values. Stay focused on the meaning of the work. That is what will bring the satisfaction. And be kind, be decent. There is no need to be a jerk, ever.
JS: Of what value are critics?
DN: Sometimes critics can shine a light on you, making you see things about yourself which you may never have realized because you are too close to the work.
JS: What do you ask of your audience?
DN: To pay attention. To listen. To be present.
JS: What specifically would you change about what goes on in the world and the arts?
DN: I wish I could have a dollar for every time someone asked me to do a show for no compensation but in return for “good exposure”. I would have a nice nest egg by now. It is remarkable to me how, generally, people don’t value what it actually takes to do what we do. That, somehow, we are living The Dream. Perhaps their dream. Yes, we may love what we do but exposure is not going to pay my mortgage.
JS: If you could relive one experience from your creative life, what would it be and why would you do so?
DN: I did a show at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow. The building has a dance school in it. For one number, I walked off stage and let the band do an instrumental. As I was standing on the side of the stage, a young dancer was there listening. He said to me that he heard the music upstairs and had to come down and listen because the music made him want to dance. Awesome moment. I will never, ever forget it. I will never forget him.
JS: Tell us what it feels like to be a figure who is presented somehow in the media. What effect does this presence have on you?
DN: People tend to develop their own narrative of what they think you are about. For example, when I say to people that I am an “accidental singer”, that I never intended to sing and that I never intended to be a performer, they are shocked by my response, saying that’s impossible. Because? That is what they see: The Diva. An image that is presented is just that: an image. It isn’t the full story. And without the full story, people draw their own conclusions and expectations which are not in sync with your reality and, as a result, they keep you pigeonholed, never really ever knowing who you truly are.
JS: Name two places you would like to visit, one you haven’t been to and one to experience again and briefly tell us why
DN: I would love to go to Colombia. Something about the culture, the language, the music, that resonates deeply with me. I would like to visit Russia again. I was there for a show and our visit was brief. I am fascinated by the culture and its people. I would like more time to dig into it further.
JS: Please tell us about one or more projects that you have been working on, are preparing, or have recently completed. Why do they matter to you and why should they matter to us?
DN: I have been working for the past few years on a cultural initiative called Salone di Cultura. Its mandate is to shine a light on Italian contemporary culture in Canada while looking beyond and/or shattering stereotypes. Its goal is to explore and express Italian culture 2.0, bring traditions forward into the present and allow them to mingle and evolve, while nurturing cross-cultural dialogue.
JS: Let’s talk about the state of the arts in today’s society, including the forms in which you work. What specifically gives you hope and what specifically do you find depressing?
DN: What always gives me hope is when I discover artists who are truly doing special work, breaking boundaries and creating mesmerizing experiences. What I am finding difficult these days is, considering the turbulent times we are living in, there should be more works out there expressing the challenges we are facing. I recall watching a Dave Chappelle special and how he was commenting on a similar thing. He was saying to his fellow colleagues to keep pushing the boundaries, keep talking, keep putting it out there because we need to speak up, we need to have our voices heard in all that is going on in the world at the moment. I would say that goes for all art forms.
JS: Finally, what do you yourself find to be the most intriguing and/or surprising thing about you?
DN: I think what surprises me most is that, though I undermine many things that I have done in my life, I do acknowledge and surprise myself on how much I have accomplished. I may not have achieved certain dreams or positions or awards or whatever. But I have recorded, toured, produced – I did what I intended to do. I guess I never really appreciated it all because I held some sort of measure, compared myself too much, held some sort of expectation of what a career in the arts was supposed to look like. That Expected Life was blinding me to what was actually happening – and there was a lot happening.