Haitian singer Mikaben – Michael Benjamin died in France during a Carimi show, Carel Pèdre announced from Paris.
Mikaben, before being the victim of a heart ailment, radiated Saturday night in the space of a recital gathering several hundred spectators.
According to the Haitian Times, Benjamin, who was affectionately known as “Mika,” was 41 years old.
Benjamin’s musical career spanned more than 20 years after he rose to fame in Haiti and abroad in the early 2000s with major hits like “Ou Pati” and popular collaborations with fellow Haitian Music Industry (HMI) stars like Carimi, Alan Cave and DJ Michael Brun, the publication reported.
12:10 AM, Dimache 16 octobre 2022. Micheal Benjamin est mort suite à un arrêt cardiaque tout de suite après sa prestation au concert de Carimi à l’Accor Arena, Paris. Mika était l’un des artistes les plus talentueux de sa génération.
— Carel Pedre (@carelpedre) October 15, 2022
On Saturday Haiti-born hip hop artist and Grammy winner Wyclef Jean told the Miami Herald “This is a shock”.
Jean said he and Mikaben were hanging out together in New York with artist Michael Brun at Bayo. Brun had brought Jean out as a special guest, and he later brought Mikaben and the other artists out for a jam session.
“All I could remember was his smile,” said Jean, recalling how he pulled him into his arms and said: “This is one of the most influential and inspirational young artists of our generation”, the publication reported Jean as saying in an interview.
Rest In Peace King @mikaben Gone too soon #haiti pic.twitter.com/9pZXum61PS
— Wyclef Jean (@wyclef) October 15, 2022
The young versatile artist, born in 1981 in Port-au-Prince and son of the famous singer Lionel Benjamin, plays piano, guitar, bass and drums.
Called Mika, then Mikaben, he wrote his first song at the age of 15 and revealed himself to the general public, from the Christmas contest organized by the television channel Telemax, with his song “Nwèl Tristès”, which came in fourth place.
