Claire Oderra; Montreal nightclub owner launched many Quebec careers
Hyfler/Rosner
Montreal nightclub owner launched many Quebec careers
A singer and actress in her own right, the proprietor of
Chez Clairette was a mentor to the likes of Robert
Charlebois, Diane Dufresne, France Castel and Claude Dubois
MARIE-CLAUDE DUCAS
Special to The Globe and Mail
December 31, 2008
MONTREAL -- To the Quebec public, and to the many artists
she helped discover, she was known simply as Clairette.
Trained in France, Claire Oderra was an actress and singer
who presided over Montreal's renowned Chez Clairette
nightclub and helped launch the careers of Robert
Charlebois, Diane Dufresne and Claude Dubois.
A landmark of Montreal's cultural scene, and a locale
crucial to any artist on their way to a serious career, Chez
Clairette was part of a vibrant Montreal scene it shared
with the likes of Casa Loma, the El Mocambo, the Faisan Doré
and the Café St-Jacques.
Chez Clairette was a typical bar-restaurant on de la
Montagne street that became a popular hangout for students
from the University of Montreal, Radio Canada producers,
well-to-do doctors, lawyers and businessmen. Most important
were producers who invited the most promising of Clairette's
performers to appear on their shows. In that way, the club
quickly became "the" place to perform for Quebec
entertainers who wanted to make it in show business.Claire
Oderra grew up in Marseille, where she early exhibited a
love of singing. By 20, she was waiting on tables at the
canteen of a local movie studio. She ended up there after
dropping out of school at 12 and doing a series of odd jobs,
including at a hairdressing salon, a soap factory, and as a
film developer at the studio, which was owned by writer and
filmmaker Marcel Pagnol. When she was fired from her
darkroom job for singing too loudly and disturbing her
co-workers, she went to Mr. Pagnol's house to beg for mercy,
fearing the reaction of her parents for losing one job too
many. She was intercepted by Charles Pons, the studio's
general manager, who sent her work at the canteen where, he
assumed, she could sing all she wanted.
It was in the canteen that she was discovered by Mr. Pagnol.
He provided her with a role in a film, and changed her name
to Clairette. "They'll still call you Clairette 40 years
from now," he told her.
The movie was La fille du puisatier, a 1939 drama about a
widower in Provence who was raising six daughters by
himself. Claire was given the role of the second daughter,
but her father was not impressed. The owner of a bistro, and
famous locally as a champion boules player, he distrusted
"artists" and refused to allow her to take the part.
Eventually, he agreed - but only after Mr. Pagnol promised
that she could return later to her real job in the canteen.
She did go back to the canteen, but not for long. Clairette
was soon recruited for a radio drama, where she also became
known as a singer, and then made her debut on the stage.
During the Second World War, she made three other movies but
mostly toured France on stage and in variety shows.
It was a 1949 tour that brought her to Quebec for the first
time. Smitten, she returned the next year. She was in love
with Quebec and, as she later wrote, "did not feel as much
at home when she was elsewhere."
Meanwhile, Ms. Oderra had experienced love, marriage and a
broken heart. She had married at 21 in a union that lasted
only four years, after which she pursued both her career and
a great private passion. The love affair was with a rich
businessman whom, she recalled in her autobiography, adored
and indulged her. But it was a passion that had to be kept
secret: He was married with children, and had an important
place in society. He died suddenly in a hotel room, and it
was she who found his body.
After that, Ms. Oderra continued shuttling between Canada
and France until 1957, when she came to Quebec to stay. She
spent about two years playing at Faisan Doré and the Café
St-Jacques before opening Chez Clairette.
There, she soon established what would become a well-known
ritual. Every Monday afternoon, she held auditions to scout
out artists. "People would come from very far to audition at
Chez Clairette," recalls Roger Sylvain, a journalist turned
agent.
As it turned out, many came but few were chosen. Usually,
Ms. Oderra would recommend the aspiring performer keep up
the good work, but learn another trade "because you know, my
child, it's not easy earning a living as an artist."
Sometimes, however, she uttered the much-awaited: "Go sit
there, kid ... I'll have a talk with you later."
That meant the person stood a good chance of becoming part
of the program at Chez Clairette and, perhaps, earning a
ticket to stardom.
On show nights, Ms. Oderra sometimes took the stage herself
for a few songs, but mostly she would scan the room, seeing
to details and making sure that the often unruly audience
gave her artists a proper welcome. Called Mother Superior by
the students from the University of Montreal, she scolded
anyone who misbehaved.
Her introductions often took the form of exhortations. "Now
shut up and listen," she would declare in a strong South of
France accent, "because the kid here is gonna sing, and
she's very good."
Among the performers were Robert Charlebois, Claude Dubois,
Diane Dufresne and France Castel, now a well-known TV host.
A regular in the audience at that time was Luc Plamondon,
who would become one of Quebec's most prolific lyricists. At
Chez Clairette, he spotted the pianist-composer André
Gagnon, and would go on to write hits for several artists he
met there.
The success of Chez Clairette was due, in part, to her
companion, Jacques Aqué, who was one of the great loves of
her somewhat tragic life. They had met in 1952 while she was
vacationing in France, and he joined her in Montreal about
six years later. It was Mr. Aqué who suggested that she
start her own place. He later helped her open and then
manage Chez Clairette.
Ms. Oderra always called him her husband, though they never
officially married. In 1960, she lost him suddenly to a
brain tumour. Shortly after, she closed Chez Clairette
because, she said, "there were too many memories."
Later, she opened a second Chez Clairette a bit farther
north on rue de La Montagne, that she ran for 10 years. When
it closed, Ms. Oderra was nearly broke. She made no bones of
the fact that, without the help, advice and business savvy
of Mr. Aqué, others in the business had taken advantage of
her.
While Ms. Oderra was through with her days as the owner of a
bar and restaurant, she continued to perform on TV, in
nightclubs and in hotels. While running Chez Clairette, she
had appeared from time to time on the drama series Au pied
de la pente douce.
Meanwhile, Ms. Oderra also took up teaching and coaching and
opened her own school of singing at the home of her younger
sister, Danielle Oderra, who had joined her in 1960 and had
herself become a well-known Quebec singer.
Prompted by Mr. Sylvain, who acted as her de facto agent,
Ms. Oderra performed regularly, even in old age. "When she
seemed inclined to let herself go, I only had to tell her
she had a show coming up, to see her put herself together,
and get going," he said.
She gave her last performance in early June, in front of 850
people at the Théâtre Denise-Pelletier on Saint Catherine
Street. In an homage show that featured several Quebec
artists, including her sister, Ms. Oderra sang from her
wheelchair and received an ovation that lasted several
minutes.
She became a member of the Order of Canada in 1995.
CLAIRE ODERRA
Claire Oderra ("Clairette") was born April 7,1919, in
Marseille, France. She died in Montreal on Oct. 28, 2008.
She was 89, and suffered osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.
She is survived by her sister, Danielle.