Serafin LaRiviere (they/them) has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Massey Hall, the Toronto Jazz Festival, and alongside industry numerous legends. The artist put a successful career as a jazz musician on hold after being approved to adopt a young son – a tremendously lengthy and often difficult experience for anyone. The experience was exceptionally difficult for the LaRiviere family, as Serafin identifies as gender non-binary in a LGBTQ+ partnership.
After a nearly 10-year hiatus, Canadian jazz artist Serafin LaRiviere recently returned with their brand new album titled “Unravel“, released on February 5th 2021.
Serafin is releasing their second single from “Unravel” entitled “Mom“. Living in their car after revealing to their biological parents that they are non-binary, Serafin met a woman named Dorothy who stepped into a mother-like role and took care of them. “Mom”, written on a particularly rough day in lockdown while homeschooling their son, Serafin found themself looking for that guidance, wisdom, and understanding from their honourary mother. Serafin found that in creating this song, many parts of her still live inside them, saying “moms love us enough that it stays in our hearts forever, even after they’re gone.” The ballad showcases Serafin’s outstanding vocal talent and is easily a relatable song for anyone who has ever had a mother-like figure in their life. The song is sure to resonate deeply with listeners, and will serve as a reminder of how lucky we are to have, or have had, our moms.
“I lost a mom last year. I say “a” mom because Dorothy wasn’t the woman who gave birth to me. But she was the woman who met me as a discarded teenager, living in my car, feeling hopeless and unloved. Dorothy became my mom. She hugged me, often — something that was new to me at that point in my life. She told me I was a good person. She loved me. When I became an adoptive parent, Dorothy’s wisdom and empathy was something I relied on. Losing her I 2020 left me feeling not only orphaned, but bereft of the guidance I relied upon.”
With Serafin’s five octave range and incredible, gender defiant tone, it’s no wonder Stuart Broomer fromToronto Life referred to the artist as “one of the most distinctive voices in the country, an emotionally loaded and tremolo-laden alto that’s pitched at the edge of gender identity”. A fixture in the Canadian jazz music scene, the artist has had features in the National Post, the Vancouver Province, and on Jazz FM. Serafin’s first two albums charted in the top ten on Canadian campus radio, one of which was the subject of a BravoFact documentary.
About “Unravel”:
Unravel is an album that moves through several genres. Classic Torch songs like Cry Me a River and I Put a Spell on You are given an electronic kiss, while original songs like It’s You and I Couldn’t Be Your Girl have elements of Pop, Funk, Soul and even Country. The track Good Boy is the most personal for the artist – a musical celebration about their son, honouring “all the wonderful, complicated things that make him such a great kid”.
Biography:
With a 5-octave vocal range that runs the gamut from tender to tempest, Serafin LaRiviere has cultivated a cross-genre audience that embraces Jazz, Torch, Adult-Contemporary and even Classical music.
Serafin’s first album, 2am At The Torch Café, peaked at Number 7 on Canadian college radio Jazz charts, with over 3000 downloads through Internet music sites like iTunes. A BravoFact documentary was filmed to coincide with the release of Torch Café, and aired frequently on Bravo during a two year period.
A second album called Nothing Goes Quietly premiered at Number 9 on the same charts, reaching Number 1 within a week on CHUO radio in Ottawa. Their third album, Love’s Worst Crime, featured Serafin’s largest contribution of original material yet, penning seven of the album’s 11 songs.
Additionally, Serafin’s cover of the Barry Mann classic “I’m Gonna Be Strong” (from Nothing Goes Quietly) was added to a Readers Digest International compilation CD also features artists like Glenn Campbell, Bonnie Tyler and Captain and Tenille.
