All fans of the Haitian artist were looking foward to the date of his funeral and the place where he will be buried. The information was communicated this Sunday on Mikaben’s Facebook page since his family has just announced that the ceremony will take place on Sunday, November 6, not in Haiti as many had hoped but in Miami, Florida (USA) where the artist lived with his wife and children. A mass will be celebrated in Haiti for his many fans and “The details will be communicated soon to allow all who wish to come and pay tribute to him“, the artist’s family informs.
Michael Benjamin, also known as Mikaben, died on Saturday, October 15, just after his performance on stage at the Accor Arena in Paris, during the Carimi’s concert.
This delay is probably due to the autopsy performed by the French authorities in order to know the exact reasons of his tragic death even if the heart attack was announced, to all the compulsory steps to rapatriate the artist’s body to the USA and to the organization of this funeral in Miami where will be present thousands of inconsolable and shocked people because of the sudden departure of the singer and musician.
“(…) We want to express our gratitude for the support that we have received from everyone around the world who has been honoring Mika. We are touched by each gesture, by the posting and streaming of his songs, by the many artists creating drawings, murals and more, and by everyone holding vigils and gathering in his memory“, his family wrote in the statement.
It also gave more details about the donations collected on the gofundme platform since last Friday, October 21 : “In response to the outpouring of generosity shown by the public, and with our endorsement, Mika’s family has already set up a link to accept donations towards his legacy. Donated funds will be allocated essentially as such: The majority of the funds will go to a memorial fund to help cover expenses that Mika’s three children will incur, which will include primary education, college education, medical expenses, and savings. Ti Souf, the non-profit Mika founded to provide support to the people of Haiti, will also receive a portion”, they continued.
72 hours after its launch on the Internet, the meter shows more than 4,400 donors and nearly 165,000 US dollars.
