France's pioneering black opera star Christiane Eda-Pierre dead at 88

In this file photo taken on Nov 25, 1983, French soprano Christiane Eda-Pierre performs in Olivier Messiaen's opera 'Saint-Francois d'Assise' at Paris' Opera. The French soprano passed away at the age of 88. Photo: AFP

Christiane Eda-Pierre, a French soprano who broke ground as the country's first black woman to make her mark on the international opera stage, has died at 88, her family told AFP on Monday (Sept 7).

She died of natural causes at her home in Deux-Sevres, western France, on Sunday (Sept 6).