Singer Mikaben dies at 41 after going into cardiac arrest onstage in Paris
“The power of love is stronger than death,” she sang in the video for her single “Waves” from her 2003 album The Last Dance. The song made its debut as a stand-alone single on MTV at the age of 19, and has been nominated for Best Female Video, Best Dance Video and Best Collaboration with Justin Timberlake.
Mikaben is also known for her hit “Hate It,” a tribute to her father who died suddenly at the age of 20 after a lifelong battle with depression. Mikaben is the first woman to perform at the Rock in Rio music festival in Brazil.
The singer leaves behind her husband and two children.
Mikaben’s death was confirmed by her band’s manager, Tom Nissim, on Friday.
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“Mikaben’s family have notified us that she has died,” said Nissim. “She went into cardiac arrest tonight during her show at Le Grand Rex in Paris.”
Nissim told Variety that medical staff attempted to resuscitate Mikaben but said she passed away at around 11:30 pm local time. He said police and paramedics have opened an investigation into her death and that the singer would be laid to rest Monday in Israel, where she has family.
Mikaben, who left Israel for Paris in 2010, performed a sold-out show for her fourth sold-out tour in the French capital on May 7 2016, which was announced on the singer’s official Facebook page.
The singer, who achieved worldwide acclaim as a teenager with the songs “Odessa” and “I Will Go Where I’m Bound,” and won an MTV Europe Music Award in 2014 for her song “Odessa” has remained a staple of the Parisian cabaret circuit and one of the most popular artists in Israel.
Mikaben’s rise to fame came at the age of 13 when she became the youngest singer in history to top the Billboard charts with her debut single, “Odessa.” The song was a huge hit in the United States, and was followed by her critically acclaimed second single “Falling” from her 2006 album La La Land.
