On October 15, 2022, Michaël Benjamin died on stage at the Accor Arena in Paris. Images of the last moments of the Haitian singer’s life, before he collapsed because of a heart attack, quickly went viral. It was very difficult for his fans to believe that they would never see him again, some even claimed that it was a “fake” and “Mikaben” would return.
The charisma exuded by the 41-year-old artist, his compositions in which he believed in a better future for his country, and his projects notably for the reforestation of Haiti and to help the underprivileged population made him immortal in the eyes of his people.
One year after his death, the native son has not been forgotten. Certainly, some would have liked to celebrate the singer’s life in Port-au-Prince, where he was born on June 27, 1981, but almost 80% of the Haitian capital is currently in the hands of gangs who, day and night, sow desolation, despair and death in their wake. The city of Cap Haïtien was therefore chosen to host the commemoration of the first anniversary of the death of Michaël Benjamin; this large, safer city in the north of the country had already been chosen to host the 16th edition of the Festival international de Jazz de Port-au-Prince – PaPJazz – last January.
Over twenty artists on stage
In Cap Haïtien, more than twenty artists paid tribute to Michaël Benjamin at a concert entitled “Legacy, Celebrating Mikaben”, which took place on Sunday October 15 at 6:00 pm on Place Notre Dame. All the artist’s songs, composed over the last twenty years, were performed at this free public concert co-presented by well-known journalist Carel Pèdre, who described the artist as “a legend”. Former Carimi singers Mickaël Guirand and Richard Cavé performed the famous song “Ou Pati”, which Mikaben had also sung on the big Parisian stage before leaving this world.
The song “Ayiti sé”, in which “Mikaben” highlights the beauty and richness of Haiti, was sung by all the artists present, with the national flag on their shoulders.
The event, which lasted over four hours, was also broadcast live abroad in cities with a Haitian community. It was initiated by Lionel Benjamin Junior, “Mikaben’s” older brother who runs the Ti Souf Foundation, and other members of the singer’s family. The concert, which aimed to immortalize “Mikaben’s” musical work, was attended by his father Lionel Benjamin Senior and his sister Mélodie.
An online fundraiser of $246,000
It should be noted that, in a press release dated September 19, the artist’s family had decided to pay tribute to him for a month, with this public concert on October 15 to round off the celebration. “Mikaben, known for his versatility and immense talent, transcended the boundaries of music and entertainment. He touched the lives of countless individuals with his soulful melodies, poetry infused lyrics, charismatic presence and unwavering commitment to his craft and his country. His sudden departure was a profound loss for Haiti and for the world. Throughout this month, we encourage friends, fans and admirers of Mikaben to share their cherished memories, photos and videos of this extraordinary human being on social media platforms (…)”, had written the Benjamin family.
In addition, the fundraiser on the GoFundMe website organized by Vanessa Fanfan, Michaël Benjamin’s wife, on October 20, 2022, is still online and has already raised 246,000 US dollars…
Photos: Facebook Mikaben
