Alex Paquette expresses himself in Quebec French and collaborates with artists from diverse local and international backgrounds, including France and Mauritius. Alex Paquette is an unpretentious white Quebecer who embraces reggae, ska, roots, and dancehall culture.
The most dogmatic still see this commitment to reggae as a form of cultural appropriation, which I find extremely debatable. Cultural appropriation certainly exists in some cases (we remember Slav, where white actors portrayed Black characters), but in this particular case, no one can prevent anyone from developing a musical genre born within an Afro-descendant society. Like jazz, blues, funk, R&B, Afrobeat, and other musical genres attributable to the enormous African contribution to Western and global culture, reggae and its variations are part of our popular culture.
Alex Paquette doesn’t shout it from the rooftops, he has been working for a long time in parallel with his friends, he travels the world Francophone reggae circuit and more, he can be considered a proud member of the international reggae scene.
Without possessing a powerful or distinctive voice, Alex Paquette writes and sings simply, without embellishment, with complete honesty. Like all his fellow islanders inclined towards certain aspects of Rastafarianism, he simply dreams of a better and more equitable world, and he invites his Creole, French, Anglophone, and Latino friends to express themselves freely alongside him.
Without a doubt, he’s piloting a fine musical machine. Clearly, he’s mastered the codes of reggae culture, and his musicians do what it takes to achieve this while giving the overall sound a touch of Quebecois flair – rigodon and reggaeton thus become reggaedon! In short, what shines through is the experience gained during long, modest tours. The know-how of craftsmen. Honest work. Good work.
