The beloved and inspirational Haitian singer Mikaben has sadly passed away at the age of 41.
As reported by PEOPLE, the musician - real name Michael Benjamin - passed away from a suspected heart attack on Saturday. The singer was performing live in Paris when he collapsed onstage during his performance.
Mikaben had been making a guest appearance alongside the Haitian konpa group CaRiMi.
However, footage later shared to social media shows the moment Mikaben collapsed in front of the live crowd at the 20,000-seat Accor Arena.
Following the tragic incident, CaRiMi singer Mickael Guirand told those in attendance: "End of the concert", The Miami Herald reports.
"It’s very complicated. We need prayers," Guirand added.
The Miami Herald adds that some people in the crowd actually fainted from witnessing the troubling scenes that had unfolded onstage.
Despite receiving medical attention, Mikaben did not survive.
In a statement shared by the Accor Arena on Twitter, a spokesperson said [translated]: "Last night during the CaRiMi concert, one of the singers, Michael Benjamin, Mikaben of his artist name died following a malaise on stage and despite the intervention of the emergency services."
The statement continued [translated]: "The entire Accor Arena team is terribly affected and sends all its support to his family and loved ones in this painful ordeal.
"Our thoughts also go to Claude Cyndecki, his producer, as well as to his fans, shocked by this sudden disappearance."
In response to the heartbreaking news, Mikaben's wife took to Instagram to share several posts about the late musician.
Vanessa Benjamin wrote in one post: "I lost my other half and I have no words."
In a second post, she added: "Oh mon Dieu, Heavenly Father, I know you don’t make mistakes and you won’t give us what we can’t bare but… this pain is very heavy. Help me please oh merciful Lord."
In a third post - in which she shared a video of the two of them dancing - Vanessa wrote: "My sweet love, How did God manage to be without you for 41years?????"
Per the Huffington Post, Mikaben was born in Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince in 1981 and started singing at the age of 15 and would become a professional performer following his studies in Montreal.
Throughout his career, he became a popular act in multiple genres, including R&B, Jamaican reggae, Haitian konpa music and the Antillean Zouk.
He is perhaps best known for his tracks 'Fe Lapli', 'Ti Pam Nan', and the inspirational 'Yon Ti Souf You Ayiti' ('A Little Breath for Haiti'), which he released following the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
Our thoughts go out to Mikaben's family, friends, and fans at this time.
