Roch Voisine

Born in Saint-Basile, now part of Edmundston in New Brunswick, Roch Voisine belongs to a francophone song tradition that blends pop, variety music and country influences, with a strong emphasis on ballads and straightforward songwriting. Initially focused on ice hockey, he reoriented his path after an injury and launched his music career in the mid-1980s; he later appeared on television as host of Top Jeunesse and as an actor in Lance et compte. Roch Voisine rose to wide prominence in 1989 with the song Hélène and the album Hélène, then built a bilingual career spanning Quebec, France and anglophone Canada with releases such as Double (1990), I’ll Always Be There (1993), Coup de tête (1994), Kissing Rain (1996) and Chaque feu… (1999). Over the years he has alternated between original material, Christmas albums, acoustic tours and cover projects, notably the Americana trilogy issued between 2008 and 2010, centered on North American folk, country and soft rock. His discography also includes Duophonique (2013), Devant nous (2017) and Hélène (35e anniversaire) (2024), and his path has occasionally crossed those of Richard Marx, Carlos Santana, Garou and Corneille.