Abidjan (AFP)
"Are the Chinese here?" Didier Bléou, a famous TV host in Ivory Coast, opened Friday afternoon the tribute ceremony, which will last all night, to the singer DJ Arafat, star of the "coupé-décalé" died accidentally at 33 years.
Arrived from the four corners of Abidjan, several thousand "Chinese" nickname given to the countless fans of the artist, began to flow to the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny, the largest in the country, half filled around 17H00 (local and GMT).
"He (Arafat) can not leave us like this.We are Chinese +, we had to be present," says Francois, a terminale student from Abobo, a popular area of the Ivorian economic capital.
"It's our idol," says Marguerite Yao, sporting a T-shirt with an effigy of the artist on which we read: "Adieu Daishinkan" (another of his nicknames, linked to a hero of comics).
Mamadou, a 16-year-old mechanic, arrived from Dabou (50 km from Abidjan), to pay a final tribute to the one whose "music rocked (his) childhood".
The ceremony was also an opportunity for small traders to do business. Red scarves (in the colors of the Republic of China) bearing the effigy of the artist were sold 2,000 CFA francs (3 euros), in competition with T-shirts and CDs.
The district of Houphouet-Boigny stadium was squared since the morning by the police. Some 6,000 men were deployed, according to Ivorian public radio and television, to avoid overflowing.
DJ Arafat, whose real name is Ange Didier Houon, died on August 12th following a motorcycle accident in Abidjan. The announcement of his death had given rise to scenes of hysteria among his fans.
DJ Arafat was nominated "best artist of the year" at the Coupe-décalé Awards in 2016 and 2017. He was also awarded in 2012 "best African artist" at the Kora Music Awards, pan-African musical awards.
The artist will be buried Saturday in the large cemetery of Williamsville, in the popular commune of Adjamé, Abidjan.
© 2019 AFP