Haitian singer Mikaben dies during Paris concert
- By AFP -
- Oct 17, 2022
Haitian singer Mikaben died in the middle of a concert in Paris on Saturday night from a suspected heart attack, shocking fans who saw him collapse as he made his way off stage.
The singer, whose real name is Michael Benjamin, was appearing at the 20,000-capacity Accor Arena in eastern Paris as a guest of the Haitian group Carimi.
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He “died after suffering a seizure on stage and despite the efforts of emergency services,” the venue announced on Twitter.
Videos on social media show him performing, then suddenly turn and begin making his way towards the back of the stage.
I’m old enough to remember a time when singers didn’t randomly drop dead on stage. 🇫🇷 #Mikaben #carimi pic.twitter.com/WMo0RYatZE
— Jennifer Arcuri (@Jennifer_Arcuri) October 16, 2022
He collapses in full few of spectators, with the music then stopped and medics called.
“I’m shocked by the sudden death of the young and very talented artist Michael Benjamin ‘Mikaben’,” Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry wrote on Twitter.
“We have lost a major figure in Haitian music.”
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Je suis bouleversé par la nouvelle de la mort subite du jeune et très talentueux artiste Michael Benjamin « Mikaben ». C’est une grande référence de la musique haïtienne qui vient de s’éteindre.
— Dr Ariel Henry (@DrArielHenry) October 15, 2022
Haiti-born rapper Wyclef Jean, of the hip-hop group The Fugees, called him “one of the most influential and inspirational young artists of our generation” in an interview with The Miami Herald newspaper.
Mikaben, son of famed singer Lionel Benjamin, was born in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince in 1981 and was well-known in the local music scene as a singer, writer and producer.
He featured in several Cairimi hits, including ‘Baby I Missed You’ and ‘Fanm sa Move’.
Smiling and thanking fans, he posted a video to his more than one million followers on Instagram from inside the Accor arena on Saturday before the concert.
His wife Vanessa, who is pregnant, posted a message thanking people for their prayers but asking them not to call her.
“I’m in no condition to talk. I lost my other half and have no words,” she wrote.