Top African star dies in motorbike crash

Ivory Coast’s DJ Arafat, a well-known singer in French-speaking Africa, has died following a traffic accident, state broadcaster RTI is reporting.

He was admitted to hospital in the main city, Abidjan, with a fractured skull after his motorcycle collided with a car on Sunday, Jeune Afrique says.

The 33-year-old died early on Monday.

He has been referred to as the “king” of coupé-décalé dance music and one of his biggest hit songs, Dosabado, has over five million views on YouTube.

The singer was also known for his love of motorcycles and featured them in his most recent hit, Moto Moto, that was released in May, which has more than four million YouTube views.

Ivory Coast Culture Minister Maurice Kouakou Bandaman has expressed his condolences in a statement and said a tribute would be organised to honour the musician.

DJ Arafat, whose real name was Ange Didier Huon, was named best artist of the year at the Coupé-Decalé Awards in 2016 and 2017.

– BBC