Congolese music star Aurlus Mabele has died in hospital in France's capital Paris, aged 67.
Posts on social media from friends and relatives say he died of coronavirus but this is not confirmed.
His fans called him the king of soukous - a high-tempo Congolese dance music popular across Africa.
His daughter, French singer Liza Monet, tweeted on Thursday that her father had died of coronavirus. "I am inconsolable" she wrote.
Fellow member of the supergroup Loketo, Mav Cacharel, also said on Facebook that he had died of coronavirus.
His manager, Jimmy Ouetenou, however, told BBC Afrique that it was not confirmed he died of coronavirus and that he had long-term health problems.
He was admitted to hospital on Thursday and died on the same day.
Mabele, whose real name is Aurelien Miatsonama, was from Congo-Brazzaville and moved to France in the 1980s.
He became famous across East Africa in the 1980s, selling more than 10 million albums, according to the music website Music in Africa.
Latest Stories
-
Bawku conflict: 3 more dead as death toll rises to 26
20 mins -
Okyeame Kwame projects ‘kente’ at Earthshot Prize event in South Africa
29 mins -
Two siblings aged 12 and 9 join anti-galamsey crusade with a sonnet
31 mins -
Afenyo-Markin vs. The Speaker: There’s No Winner – Martin Kpebu
48 mins -
Useless Column: How to penetrate
1 hour -
Supreme Court assuming ‘vacant seats’ case was a sensible move – Kofi Bentil
1 hour -
Newsfile discusses Supreme Court’s ruling on Vacant Seats; Electoral Commission’s 2024 election readiness
1 hour -
Pastors across Ghana’s 16 regions gird up for Joy Prayer Summit for Peace
2 hours -
NDC will make agriculture attractive – Prof Opoku-Agyemang
2 hours -
Prof Opoku-Agyemang slams Akufo-Addo for prioritising statue
2 hours -
Africa’s carbon market short-changed, countries losing sovereignty over ‘carbon grab’ – Adesina
2 hours -
Joe Mettle, Efe Grace, Queendalyn, David Bethel for second edition of ‘Highest Praise’ Festival
2 hours -
Bongo Queen Mothers Ass. call for stronger stakeholder collaboration to combat teenage pregnancy
2 hours -
African Conference on Tobacco Control and Development held in Accra
3 hours -
Akufo-Addo’s level of poor governance is at a dizzying height – Martin Kpebu
3 hours