DUBAI: Yemeni oud player and social media star Ahmed Alshaiba, who performed for the likes of US politician Hillary Clinton, has died following a traffic accident in New York.
The musician shot to fame for his oud renditions of hit international songs such as Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal,” Justin Bieber’s “Despacito” and the theme songs of popular franchises such as “Game of Thrones” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
Aside from covers, however, Alshaiba also worked on creating original music, releasing his latest album “Malahide” in August.
With nearly 800,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel, Alshaiba’s videos amassed millions of views due to his mash-up of Arab and Western styles.
At the time of posting, the late musician’s family had not released an official statement as yet.