Overview:
The Haitian music neighborhood and followers worldwide mourn the lack of legendary guitarist, arranger and composer André “Dadou” Pasquet, who handed away on Nov. 23 at age 72 after a protracted sickness. Born in 1953, Pasquet was a former member of Tabou Combo and co-founded the Magnum Band in 1976, remaining dedicated to the group all through his life. Identified for his virtuosity, humility and pioneering function in shaping trendy compas, he leaves a long-lasting cultural legacy that has impressed many generations of musicians.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — André “Dadou” Pasquet, a famend Haitian guitarist, singer and founding father of Magnum Band, died in Miami, Florida, on Nov. 23 after a protracted battle with sickness, his household stated. He was 72.
“Immediately we share information that breaks our hearts: Dadou has taken his remaining bow and entered the Lord’s everlasting embrace,” the household posted on social media.
“To the world, he was a musical icon, a legendary guitarist whose work outlined generations; to us, he was a cherished relative whose humility matched his expertise. He was a husband, a father, a good friend, and a beacon of Haitian tradition whose artwork touched numerous lives,” the submit continued.
Born on Aug. 19, 1953, Pasquet was a virtuoso guitarist, arranger, and composer. He was probably the most influential figures in Konpa, recognized for his central function in shaping the nation’s musical panorama. Pasquet grew up surrounded by musicians and began taking part in guitar at a younger age, impressed by the artists in his household. As a teen, he moved to New York, the place he started performing professionally with a band referred to as Tropicale.
Within the early Seventies, he joined the legendary Tabou Combo, one among Haiti’s most influential Konpa teams. In 1976, he and his brother, Claude “Tico” Pasquet, based Magnum Band in Miami. Underneath his management, the group developed a particular fashion—a clean mix of Konpa, jazz, funk, and pop—that set them aside all through the Caribbean and past.
His hottest songs embrace Expertise, Jehovah, Paka Pala, Pike Devan, Liberty, Se Vérité—that includes Guadeloupean singer Tanaya Saint-Val, amongst others.
The Pasquet household didn’t disclose the sicknesses the artist had suffered till his remaining days. Nevertheless, an in depth supply confirmed that the Haitian music legend was preventing leukemia.
“To the world, he was a musical icon, a legendary guitarist whose work outlined generations; to us, he was a cherished relative whose humility matched his expertise. He was a husband, a father, a good friend, and a beacon of Haitian tradition whose artwork touched numerous lives.”
The Pasquet household
Throughout Haiti and the diaspora, musicians and followers are mourning the lack of the artist whose daring but refined fashion helped reshape trendy konpa and impressed numerous performers.
Ralph Condé, one among Haiti’s well-known guitarists and singers, paid tribute to Pasquet, whose musical legacy deeply impressed him. On Facebook, Condé wrote, “Dadou’s contact, his soul, and his brilliance on the guitar have left a mark that can by no means fade.”
“A legend has left us. Whereas we rejoice our nation’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup, this unhappy information has reached us,” additionally stated poet John Wesley Delva in a submit on his page. “One of many biggest guitarists—if not the most effective—our nation has ever seen—has left us.”
The Workplace of Prime Minister Alix Fils-Aimé shortly issued a message of sympathy, noting that whereas the nation has misplaced an enormous, his affect will proceed to form the nation’s music for generations.
“Legendary determine of Konpa, Dadou was a uncommon musician whose humility matched his virtuosity,” stated the Workplace of the Prime Minister. “Passionate, elegant, and deeply dedicated to his artwork in addition to to his individuals, he leaves a void that nothing will ever fill.”
Pasquet’s musical legacy extends over 5 many years, mixing the core parts of Konpa with jazz, funk and world influences. Amongst his most notable albums embrace “Cherché La Vie” by Magnum Band (1980), which helped form the group’s musical id, and “Afrika” (1986), a tribute to African heritage that mixes Haitian rhythms with pan-African themes.
He additionally launched “Stay at Berklee” in 1992, an album capturing the band’s energetic efficiency in Boston and showcasing Dadou’s outstanding improvisational fashion. Les Archives Vol. I & II (1998) supply a retrospective of greater than 30 years of his musical journey.
Simply days earlier than his demise, the household launched a statement explaining Pasquet’s non permanent step again from public life as he centered on restoration. They thanked supporters for his or her encouragement and requested for continued privateness.
“He’s at present going via a severe well being problem that forestalls him from performing or interacting with you as he would really like,” the household stated in a Fb submit. “Though Dadou can not talk personally in the intervening time, your messages and prayers are reaching him and are deeply appreciated.”
Followers, pals and music lovers worldwide are invited to affix the Pasket household in Miami on Saturday, Nov. 29, to rejoice and honor the lifetime of the Haitian music icon.