Who was DJ Arafat and how did he die?
FRENCH African music star DJ Arafat has died.
The Ivorian musician was in the city of Abdijan when he passed away. Here’s what we know.
Who was DJ Arafat?
DJ Arafat, born Ange Didier Houon, was a well-known singer and musician in French-speaking western and central African countries.
Currently he is considered the most popular artists in Ivory Coast, with more than 2.3million subscribers to his Facebook page.
Many insist he coined the genre coupé-décalé, a dance music formed of choppy rhythms and hip-hop style vocals.
Arafat, was born in Cocody, Ivory Coast , to his mum, singer Tina Glamour and dad musician Houon Pierre.
She conjured controversy for her daring performances.
Arafat is well known for his love of motorcycles.
He featured them in one of his latest hits, Moto Moto, that obtained 1million views in less than a day.
In total, Arafat released 11 albums in his career, with his first released in 2000.
Arafat was named best artist of the year at the Coupé-Decalé Awards in 2016 and 2017.
How did he die?
Arafat was involved in a motorbike accident on Sunday, August 11 2019
Footage shared on social media has left his fans furious, claiming emergency services were slow to respond.
The megastar was with a group of friends in Abidjan, Ivory Coast when he crashed into an oncoming car.
He was rushed to a local hospital for treatment, but died from his injuries on August 12.
State broadcaster RTI tweeted: “Death of artist DJ Arafat… today at 8am as a result of a road accident overnight.”
Ivorian Culture Minister Maurice Kouakou Bandaman gave his condolences to the 33-year-old’s family and fans, adding that he planned to pay homage to his life and career.