Réjean Paquin was born August 17th, 1960, in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. His passion for music evolved during high school where he began playing the saxophone. It was progressive rock from the 70’s and in particular the works of keyboardist Rick Wakeman, that brought flight to his musical imagination. Réjean was so moved by the genius of Rick Wakeman that he turned his attention to electronic keyboards.
Just 17 years old, Réjean became the keyboardist for Mantra, a progressive rock group that specialized in covers of British prog-rock supergroups Yes and Genesis. But the young keyboardist was enraptured by the great solo musical epics of Rick Wakeman, in particular the classic concept albums ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’ and ‘The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Round Table.’
Deciding to create his own solo composition, Réjean envisioned a musical work that would be spun together with threads of rock, symphony and choral orchestration. All that remained was the right theme. It had to be unique…
Réjean’s brother Yves Paquin, was a skilled designer and illustrator. In 1979 he published, ‘Le Tarot idéographique du Kébèk’ which became the first Tarot cards entirely unique to Quebec. Réjean took great pride in the efforts of his brother and found himself drawn to the science of Tarot, the meaning behind the cards and especially, the musical symbolism that each inspired.
Thus, at age 19, Réjean had identified the fabric of his vision and embarked on the epic journey toward his dream, the composition of 22 musical pieces, each representing one of the 22 major Arcanas of Tarot. Perhaps, hidden within the cards, was an interpretation that would have hinted that this lifework would only reveal itself to him over the next 26 years !
Did the Tarot tell Réjean that he would ultimately study musical composition at the Conservatory of Music in Hull ? Did the Tarot suggest that he would contribute to musicals, rock operas and eventually soundtracks for films, documentaries, commercials in addition to an array of multi-media products ? Only the Tarot knows. But what is certain is that this vast experience gave him composition, arranging and orchestration skills. His abilities would be complemented by fluency in the language of music sampling and sound effects.
All of the necessary tools were now at hand to realize his unfading musical vision. Today, at the “mystical” age of 45, he proudly presents the music of the Tarot… in a way of his own…
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