The world is mourning the death of an African music legend, Manu Dibango.
Saxophone maestro Manu Dibango has died in Paris after catching Coronavirus.
As recently reported by The Sauce, the music icon tested positive for Coronavirus on March 18th 2020 and a statement from his Facebook page assured fans that he was doing well and resting.
READ: More Celebrities Test Positive For Coronavirus; Harvey Weinstein, Sabrina Elba + More.
Now, a week later, a statement from his team revealed that Dibango had unfortunately passed away on Tuesday March 24th 2020 following his Coronavirus diagnosis.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce you the loss of Manu Dibango, our Papy Groove,” a statement on his official Facebook page read.
His funeral will take place in “strict privacy”, the statement read, asking instead for people to send condolences by email and adding that a tribute will be arranged “when possible”.
Dibango best known for his 1972 song ‘Soul Makossa’ is one of the first global stars to die from Covid-19.
The 86-year-old fused jazz and funk music with traditional sounds from his home country, Cameroon. Dibango’s musical career spanned across more than six decades.
Manu whose real name was Emmanuel N’Djoke Dibango born on December 12, 1933, worked with such notable stars as South Africa’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo and performed all around the world.
He most notably performed in Nairobi, Kenya during the 12th edition of the Koroga Festival in 2016.
Coronavirus has also robbed music lovers of another veteran musician. Congolese music star Aurlus Mabélé recently died in hospital in France’s capital Paris, aged 67.
According to reports, he died from the novel Coronavirus on Thursday (19.03.20) the same day he was admitted to hospital.
Mabélé, whose real name is Aurélien Miatsonama, was from Congo-Brazzaville and moved to France in the 1980s.
