He was a figure in the young Haitian music scene. Singer Michael Benjamin, known as Mikaben, died on Saturday night at the age of 41 in the middle of a concert at the Accor Arena. The shock wave and the multiplication of tributes published since then reflect the popularity of this beat, a genre born in Haiti.
“It is a great reference of Haitian music that has just died. The country and Haitian youth have lost a beautiful soul,” Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry tweeted Sunday.
Because Mikaben has been dancing Haiti for twenty years, both in Creole and English, with pieces that mix pop and more traditional and local sounds, borrowing from dancehall and zouk.
Born into a family of artists.
It is hard to imagine a more brutal disappearance: while performing as a guest of Carimi, a mythical group from the Caribbean island, in front of this Parisian room with a capacity for 20,000 people, Mikaben collapsed when leaving the packed stage. After a few moments of chaos and uncertainty, during which he was given a heart massage behind the scenes, his death was announced. officially announced on Twitter by the editor of the news writer Frantz Duval, present in the room.
Born in Port-au-Prince in 1981, Mikaben was predestined for a career in entertainment: he is the son of Haitian singer Lionel Benjamin. After studying in Montreal, he participated in the early 2000s in a popular singing contest, the Christmas Telemax, where he placed fourth with the song Nwel Sadas reported by The New Herald. The American media describe him as “one of the most talented musicians of his generation”.
In groups and alone
For the past twenty years, Mikaben has alternated between solo projects and group experiences. After two first albums that allowed him to make a name for himself and gain a loyal audience (Vwayaj Y Miguel, in 2000 and 2004), he embarked on a university adventure with the group Krezi Mizik. He has also often collaborated with the group Carimi, especially on the tracks baby i missed you Y Fanm sa Move. He even temporarily replaced Mickael Guirand, one of the members, in 2015. His latest album is named after him, titled MKBNdated 2018.
But one of his most iconic songs will undoubtedly remain. Ayti Se, published in 2012, two years after the earthquake that struck Haiti and killed 316,000 people. always according to The New Heraldfounded an association to help the victims, Ti Souf Ayiti.
as reported Here it is, Mikaben was a father. He had a first child, Gaby, born from a previous union before his current wife, Vanessa Fanfan, gave birth to a daughter, Leïa. The world reports that she is expecting her second child: “Thank you for your prayers, but please don’t call me,” she wrote on Instagram.
“I am in no condition to speak. I have lost my half and I am at a loss for words.”
rain of tributes
Numerous Haitian personalities have saluted Mikaben’s memory. Wyclef Jean, former member of the Fugees who signed the planetary tube Hips do not lie a duet with Shakira in 2006, posted a video of him in the company of Mikaben:
“Rest in peace, King Mikaben,” he wrote in the caption.
Singer Tamara Suffren said that Mikaben was part of Haiti’s “legacy” and that his death was “a blow to the country.”
Source: BFM TV
