- Davido, others mourn
DJ Arafat, an Ivorian singer with a huge following in francophone Africa, has died after a road accident in Abidjan, the state broadcaster RTI said on Monday.
“Death of artist DJ Arafat… today at 8am as a result of a road accident overnight,” it tweeted.
According to messages and pictures circulating on social media, he had been driving a motorbike and smashed into a car. Critically injured, he was taken to an Abidjan hospital, where he later died.
Born in Abidjan in 1986, DJ Arafat — real name Ange Didier Huon — was avidly followed in French-speaking western and central African countries.
He issued 11 albums, mainly of “coupe-decale” — a dance music form combining choppy rhythms with hip-hop-style vocals.
Ivorian Culture Minister Maurice Kouakou Bandaman expressed his condolences and said a tribute would be organised to honour the musician.
The 33-year-old died on Monday at about 8am following a bike accident Sunday night in Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire.
According to reports, his motorcycle was hit by a car driven by a journalist from Radio Côte d’Ivoire.
DJ Arafat was reportedly unconscious while being rushed to the hospital before he died on Monday.
According to BBC Afrique, he was a highly celebrated and accomplished Coupe Decale Artist.
He won the Best Francophone Award at the 2015 MAMAs and was nominated for Best African Act at the 2015 MTV EMA.
In May 2019, DJ Arafat’s Moto Moto hit 1 million YouTube views in less than 24 hours.
Music superstar Davido took to his twitter and Instagram pages to pay tributes to the late artiste.
He simply wrote: “RIP Yorobo. I love you”.
AFP/NAN
