Last Tuesday, All Saints’ Day, the family of Michaël Benjamin aka Mikaben had published a post on the artist’s Facebook page to let people know that a “celebration of life” for the artist will be organized this Sunday, November 6 at the Miramar Cultural Center, a city not far from Miami.
Those who read between the lines had noted that the word “funeral” was not mentioned in this invitation through internet. However, many imagined seeing Mikaben in his coffin in Miramar, saying goodbye and participating in his funeral. It seems that Haitian artists had even asked for money from the Haitian Ministry of Culture to travel to Florida as a delegation.
The information fell brutally this Thursday, November 03 : the funeral of Michaël Benjamin aka Mikaben has already taken place on Wednesday, November 02 in Tampa, the city where he lived with his wife and children. In addition to the artist’s family, this private ceremony would have brought together a hundred people including friends and close artists such as members of the band Carimi.
Many Haitians are stunned, others are even angry because they feel they have lost their idol a second time. Some wonder why they chose to bury Mikaben on November 02, All Souls’ Day? According to them, it is because Lionel Benjamin, his father, belongs to the Freemasonry. As we know, Haiti is an island filled with superstitions like many Caribbean islands. Others would have liked to visit his grave but it seems that the body of the 41-years-old artist was cremated. Still others would have liked to see the coffin to finally convince themselves that the artist has really left this earthly world.
Vanessa Fanfan Benjamin published a video this Friday in which she said that the artist’s family did not want the photo of his body to be spread on all social networks ; Mikaben himself would not have liked this, according to his wife who will give birth to a baby girl in early December. This decision not to include everyone at the funeral was taken to protect Michaël Benjamin’s children (Gabi and Léïa) who are experiencing very badly their father’s absence.
Tomorrow’s event on Sunday, November 6 at the Miramar Cultural Center in Florida will be a happy tribute to Mikaben and it will be broadcast live on his Facebook page, his YouTube channel…
Fundraising launched on October 21, 2022 by Vanessa Fanfan Benjamin – to secure the future of the singer and musician’s children and to support his Ti Souf Foundation – has already raised more than US$225,000.
