Haitian singer Mikaben, who launched his career in Canada, died this past weekend after suffering a suspected heart attack while on stage in Paris. He was 41.
Videos shared on social media show the singer walking towards the back of the stage and falling hard between risers. According to a tweet by Accor Arena, Mikaben “died after suffering a seizure on stage and despite the efforts of emergency services.”
Mikaben, whose full name is Michael Benjamin, was taking part in a CaRiMi reunion show on Saturday to celebrate the band’s 20th anniversary.
“I’m shocked by the sudden death of the young and very talented artist,” read a tweet, in French, by the Haitian prime minister Ariel Henry. “We have lost a major figure in Haitian music.”
Musician Wyclef Jean told the Miami Herald that Mikaben “one of the most influential and inspirational young artists of our generation.”
Born in Port-au-Prince, Mikaben’s passion for music was inspired at an early age by his father, beloved Haitian singer Lionel Benjamin. He learned to play the guitar at 14. “Music grew in me naturally and I wanted to adopt it on my own,” he told The Haitian Times last December. “I’m not going to lie, my fingers used to hurt when I used to play the guitar but I never gave up.”
Mikaben moved to Montreal at 16 to study music. He recorded his 2000 debut album VWAYAJ in the city and started performing shows in the Caribbean, Europe and Africa – as well as throughout Quebec and at venues in Ottawa and Toronto.
Mikaben returned to Haiti in 2005 and became lead singer of the band Krezi MIZIK, with whom he recorded a pair of albums. He shifted his focus back to being a solo artist in 2010, the same year Haiti was devastated by a powerful earthquake.
According to his biography, Mikaben could sing in French, English, Spanish and Creole and played several instruments, including guitar and drums. He was also an accomplished composer and producer.
“He was a musical genius and that’s what we just lost,” musician Alex Abellard, who did tours with Mikaben, told The Haitian Times. “His writing was very original. Just imagine not having that anymore in a country that’s missing so much now. That’s a big loss for our culture globally.
“Mikaben was one of the most diverse artists that we had. He played all genres. He wasn’t stuck to the Haitian culture. He would bring whatever colour he would get all over the world. He was an original.
Among the many who collaborated with the singer is DJ Michaël Brun, who paid tribute in an Instagram post.
“Mika was a one of a kind artist and performer. His presence on stage was magnetic,” Brun wrote. “He brought so much love and passion to his art and cared deeply about his family, friends and Haiti.”
In addition to being survived by his father Lionel Benjamin, Mikaben is survived by his wife Vanessa, who is expecting in December, and their daughter Leïa as well as son Gabriel from a previous marriage.
On social media, Mikaben’s wife wrote: “I’m in no condition to talk. I lost my other half and I have no words.” She later added: “This pain is very heavy.”