Mikaben, Haitian singer, dead at age 41 after collapsing on stage

By Dan Heching, CNN

Haitian singer and musician Mikaben has died following a medical incident on stage in Paris over the weekend, according to a statement from the venue for the performance. He was 41.

Mikaben, whose name is Michael Benjamin, was performing with the Haitian group Carimi at the Accor Arena on Saturday when he became ill, the venue said in a statement on Twitter.

“Last night during the Carimi concert, one of the singers, Michael Benjamin, Mikaben,” the arena tweeted Sunday, “died after fainting on stage and despite the intervention of emergency services. The whole team at Accor Arena is terribly affected and sends all of its support to his family and loved ones during this painful time.”

His wife, Vanessa Fanfan, wrote that she had “lost her other half” in tributes shared on Instagram.

“Heavenly Father, I know you don’t make mistakes and you won’t give us what we can’t bare [sic] but…this pain is very heavy. Help me please or merciful Lord,” Fanfan wrote.

Benjamin was also remembered by singer Wyclef Jean, who captioned a video of the two artists together shared on Twitter, “Rest In Peace King @mikaben Gone too soon #haiti.”

The son of Hatian singer Lionel Benjamin, Mikaben composed, produced and performed various hit songs with Carimi, including “Baby I Missed You,” which has over 9 million views on Youtube.

The-CNN-Wire
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