TRIBUTE STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTORATE (BEN) OF THE POLITICAL PARTY “PATRIYÒT RASANBLE POU SOVE LAKAY (PARASOL)”.

IN MEMORY OF MAESTRO ANDRÉ “DADOU” PASQUET (1953 – 2025). Port-au-Prince, November 24, 2025. The National Executive Directorate (BEN), one of the main governing bodies of the political party Patriyòt Rasanble pou Sove Lakay (PARASOL), moral guardian of national memory, culture, and consciousness, bows with reverence and deep emotion before the memory of Maestro André “Dadou” Pasquet, who passed away on November 22, 2025, at the age of 72. Born in the city of Les Cayes, in the heart of Haiti's Great South, Dadou Pasquet remains one of the most brilliant ambassadors of Haitian music. A virtuoso guitarist, inspired singer, prolific composer, and visionary arranger, he skillfully combined rigor and passion, modernity and tradition, to elevate Haitian konpa to the status of a universal art. Visionary founder of the legendary Magnum Band, alongside his brother Claude “Tico” Pasquet, he offered the world a Creole symphony blending jazz, blues, vodou, and the poetry of the Haitian soul. His chords crossed borders, resonating on stages in his hometown of Les Cayes, Petit-Goâve, Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haïtien, and Saint-Marc, throughout the Antilles, Central and South America — notably Brazil, Mexico — and North America — including Miami, New York, Boston, Montreal — as well as the African continent, Europe — notably Paris — and even Japan. His performances left a mark on all who had the chance to hear his music, proudly carrying Haiti's banner on every stage worldwide. His guitar spoke the language of earth and sky, of sorrow and joy, of memory and hope. In every note, he translated the memory of Dessalines and the breath of our ancestors, reminding us that freedom also sings. His work sang the beauty of a people who always rise again, even after storms, even after mourning. An artist rooted in the tenderness and pride of his native South, Dadou Pasquet sang his love for his city in the cult song “Okay Chéri Mwen Renmen W,” a true cry from the heart, an ode to his childhood land and the people of the South. Among his other iconic successes are: “Cherché La Vie,” “Se Vérité,” “Nou Rive Nan Lakou A,” “Mwen Renmen W (That’s All),” and “Kolon,” which made the Haitian people dance, reflect, and feel. His heart, beating for the people, will continue to resonate in every note we sing for Haiti. Today, as Haiti prepares to write a new page in its history, driven by the 21st Century Renaissance, inspired by Humanist Dessalinism, this national doctrine that unites Dessalines' justice with the humanist hope of the modern world, we regret the loss of this voice that would have been so precious to sing the resurrection of our nation. Dadou would have known how to tune his guitar to the heartbeats of the Renaissance, this 21st-century symphony where Man, Nation, and Spirit reconcile. A sublime irony of fate: as the Haitian flag prepares to fly again on the world stage, celebrating the return of the Haiti National Team to the 2026 World Cup, fifty years after the glorious epic of 1974, a voice that would have sung this victory has been silenced forever. One voice less… one more light in the firmament of immortals. The PARASOL Party, faithful to its ideal of Renaissance — Leave No One Behind, salutes the memory of this eternal patriot, this melodic thinker, this ambassador of Creole beauty. His musical legacy will remain a beacon for future generations, reminding us what Haiti can achieve when it rises above despair. The National Executive Directorate (BEN) extends its deepest condolences to his family, his companions in the Magnum Band, the Haitian artistic community, the entire diaspora, and particularly to the people of the South, proud to have given birth to one of its most illustrious sons. His work will survive time, just as the echoes of a sacred drum survive in the heart of the night. For the National Executive Directorate (BEN) Political Party Patriyòt Rasanble pou Sove Lakay (PARASOL) “Renaissance — Leave No One Behind” Yvon BONHOMME
President