He observes the smoke rising from the cup of black tea, "my current vice." The notes of Tomara, by Vinicius and Toquinho, accompany the mid-morning atmosphere and Dani Orviz smiles. "Over the years, I have achieved a pleasant balance between a life that can be defined as normal, and another that is not normal at all." Between the routines of a family man and the explosion of words and gestures on stages of all kinds. "Outwardly I may seem rather calm, but my head is in constant motion," he warns.
Raised in an Asturian village, within a family of teachers "with a high sensitivity for everything artistic and cultural," he began writing stories and poems as a child. Years later he moved to Madrid, where he studied Advertising and Public Relations. "At that time I was writing, even though I was thinking of pursuing a career in marketing." But the time came to make the leap into the professional world, "and seeing myself in an advertising agency made me realize that I didn't want that, neither then nor for my future." Too many things were happening in that head and none pointed towards that world of talent at the service of the corporate environment. "I started working at anything, like an usher in a cinema or a catalog layout designer, that would allow me to be clear-headed to write poetry."
In 2007 he ended up at Bukowski, "an open mic club in the center of Madrid," from which he became fond of reading his verses aloud, but the moment everything began to change took place two years later, at the also Madrid-based Libertad 8. "There I discovered slam poetry, scenic poetry competitions in which poets compete reciting our verses before the public, who acts as a jury. And although at first the competitive part didn't quite convince me, I did feel comfortable with this format because it allowed me to add a theatrical aspect to my poetry."
Paths that are left open
When the slam poetrycrossed his path in 2009, Dani Orviz saw that there was a professional future there. "The possibility not only of opening a path, which I believe I have done without stepping on anyone, but of leaving it open for all those who may come behind." The following years he did not stop, neither inside nor outside his head.He published poetry collections such as Muere sonriendo, Viejo caos Universal or La del medio de las Ketchup. He created shows such as Mecánica planetaria or Massaslam, traveled to countries. East and West of Europe and, later, Latin America, "meeting people from all over the world who have your same concerns." He consolidated his career until 2012, the year of takeoff.
"That year I won the national championship and, shortly after, the European slam poetry championship held in Antwerp. Also, that's when I moved to Barcelona, which has a way of working and functioning that I adapted to very well." He sips a drink of tea. "A year later, in 2013, I won the bronze medal in the slam poetry world cup held in Paris," he adds.
His mind keeps working. The gears turn non-stop and to his shows, performances, and training, he adds two new projects: "The first is to work on the development of poetry for children and the second, which is very personal and I don't know where it will take me, is a comic in verse that explains the impact that Crónicas Marcianas had on our idiosyncrasy. What mark did that program leave on us that, more than trash TV, I define as teleforraje: content that fills, saturates, but neither nourishes nor feeds."
That, despite everything, maintains its character
"My Barcelona will always be the literary and imaginary one, the one that artists, writers, and poets have praised, painted, performed, and lived. A city that, on the other hand, you can still find when you walk through its streets." Based in L'Hospitalet, the poet has not stopped loving that city he arrived in fourteen years ago, and with which he irremediably fell in love one night when, with the woman who would become his wife, they went up to Tibidabo. "We were next to the amusement park, already closed, and seeing the city spread out at our feet from that nearby viewpoint was a magical moment that I try to relive whenever I can."Of course, Barcelona is not spared "from the homogenization process that affects so many cities and that I find so counterproductive, but I believe that despite everything it manages to maintain its character," he reasons, putting an end to his black tea.
--- What does not lose an iota of its character is the gastronomic offer of this Bar. Lunchtime is approaching and perhaps you might fancy a menu, some tapas or a sandwich…
The chords of Valsa da Tunisia interpreted by Toquinho filter through the kitchen noises, already at the height of its hustle and bustle. Dani Orviz thinks about it for a few moments before opting for some tapas. "And maybe a dessert, because although I'm more of a savory person, I have a growing tendency towards sweet." And he smiles again, as the cutlery and napkin are brought closer to him on the bar.