DJ Arafat, an Ivorian singer with a massive following in Africa, has died.
The famous music star died in a road accident, the state broadcaster RTI reported a few hours ago.
"Death of artist DJ Arafat... today at 8 am as a result of a road accident overnight," it tweeted.
DJ Arafat, whose real name is Ange Didier Huon died after his motorcycle collided with a car.
He suffered a fractured skull after his motorcycle collided with a car on Sunday night and admitted to hospital in the central city, Abidjan, but he did not survive.
"He was admitted to the emergency room in a vegetative state. He had a skull fracture and oedema," a doctor from the institution told Jeune Afrique, on condition of anonymity. The medical teams tried to revive him, "in vain".
Ivory Coast Culture Minister Maurice Kouakou Bandaman has expressed his condolences in a statement and said a tribute would be organized to honour the musician.
Many fans regard DJ Arafat as the king of Coupé-Décalé - a type of popular dance music originating from Côte d'Ivoire and the Ivorian diaspora in France.
The genre is a very percussive style featuring African samples, deep bass, and repetitive minimalist arrangements.
DJ Arafat was named the best artist of the year at the Coupé-Decalé Awards in 2016 and 2017. One of his biggest hit songs, Dosabado, has over five million views on YouTube.
He has 11 – albums, mainly of "coupé-décalé" – a dance music form combining choppy rhythms with hip-hop-style vocals.
Ange Didier Huon also is known as DJ Arafat or Arafat Muana. He is an ex-disc jockey in "Shangaï" on Princess Street, was an Ivorian DJ and singer who made music of the Coupé-Décalé genre. He was the son of Tina Glamour, also an artist, and the deceased musician Houon Pierre.
May his soul rest in peace.
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