Nicknamed Mikaben or simply Mika, Haitian singer-songwriter Michael Benjamin collapsed on stage during a concert Saturday night in Paris, where his death was confirmed shortly after. Considered one of the most important composers and performers of his generation, Mikaben, 41, had a career spanning more than twenty years marked by four solo albums, fruitful collaborations with colleagues from the kompa scene and great songs such asAyiti se.
“Haiti is a land of peasants / It is the small traders who descend / Fighting for the dear life / Haiti is the children who dream of a bright future”, sings Mikaben (in Creole in the text) on the poignant Ayiti se (“Haiti is”) released in 2012, one of the most cherished songs by the Haitian nation, again plunged into mourning.
Son of Lionel Benjamin, known as “Father Christmas”, a popular figure in Creole song for more than 40 years, Mika was born in Port-au-Prince in 1981 and attended high school in Montreal. The young Benjamin began his solo musical career in the 1990s before forming the Krezi Mizik orchestra in the mid-2000s, a brief kompa parenthesis in his musical trajectory nourished by folk, reggae and pop song influences. Mika stood out for his versatility, his pen which he gladly put at the service of others (including Kaï, CaRiMi, T-Vice and Wesli), his amber voice and his unalterable smile.
“He was the friendliest, most pleasant guy in the Haitian music industry, he never had a big head,” recalls Ralph Boncy, journalist, critic and specialist in the Creole music scene. “He arrived on the scene like a breath of fresh air, with his little guitar and his simple little songs that spoke to the public. »
The musician died during an event that should have had a positive impact on the history of Haitian music: one of the most popular kompa orchestras of the last decades, CaRiMi, had reformed specifically to accomplish what was n had never been done before, to fill an arena with over 10,000 fans in Paris and celebrate Haitian music. The event was held on Saturday evening at the Accor Arena; after being invited on stage by the group, Mikaben performed three songs, Haitian flag around his neck, and then collapsed.
Many personalities have reacted in the past few hours to pay tribute to the musician. TV and radio host Carel Pedre called him “one of the most talented artists of his generation”, a feeling shared by rapper Wyclef Jean, in his remarks collected by the Miami Herald. The leader of the Liberal Party of Quebec Dominique Anglade offered her condolences to the family on Twitter, stressing that Mika “gave great moments to music”.
Composer and DJ Michael Brun tweeted: “His stage presence was magnetic. He brought so much love and passion to his art and cared deeply for his family, friends and Haiti.” Also on Twitter, Prime Minister Ariel Henry reacted: “I am devastated by the news of the sudden death of the young and very talented artist Michael Benjamin “Mikaben”. It is a great reference of Haitian music which has just died out”.