Fans and countrymen on Thursday shared their remembrances of Dominican Republic music icon Rubby P茅rez, who was among the scores of people killed this week after the in Santo Domingo collapsed. He was 69.
Know for songs such as 鈥淰olver茅,鈥� 鈥淓l Africano鈥� and 鈥淭u Vas a Volar," P茅rez devoted his long career to merengue, the signature musical style of the Dominican Republic. It earned him the title, 鈥渢he highest voice in merengue,鈥� despite it being his second career choice.
Born on March 8, 1956, in Haina, P茅rez aspired to be a baseball player, but those dreams came to an halt when his right leg was injured in a car accident.
P茅rez eventually found solace in the guitar and started his musical career in the 1970s. He made his debut as part of Los Pitagoras del Ritmo.
In 1989, P茅rez joined Wilfrido Vargas' orchestra, which gave him the opportunity to launch his solo career in 1987. In 2022, P茅rez released his latest album, 鈥淗echo Esta.鈥�
His albums have gone gold and platinum in Venezuela and earned him the Orchestra and Merengue of the Year honors at the Soberano Awards, the Dominican music awards.
Following news that P茅rez was one of the victims of the collapse, Vargas released a statement saying you can never really say goodbye to an artist like P茅rez whose 鈥渓egacy transcends time and space.鈥�
鈥淗is voice, powerful and full of life will continue to resonate in every corner of our Dominican Republic and beyond,鈥� Vargas said. 鈥淩ubby was not just a singer; he was a symbol of courage, passion and artistic excellence.鈥�
Days before the collapse, was in New York City. At what would be his last performance in the U.S., he told fans he was exited to be traveling to Santo Domingo.
A public on Thursday in Santo Domingo鈥檚 National Theater.
鈥淗e was a beloved man,鈥� Martitza Martinez, 75, said in Spanish of P茅rez, adding that she had attended three of his parties in the Dominican Republic, in part because her cousin was his car mechanic. 鈥淧erforming live, he was excellent.鈥�
Martinez joined other mourners Thursday outside the United Palace theatre where P茅rez had once performed in Washington Heights, the center of the Dominican diaspora in New York City. Across from the palace, a poster of P茅rez was taped to a tree, framed between Dominican flags above and candles below that bore the images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
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Associated Press reporter Cedar Attanasio contributed.
Fernanda Figueroa, The Associated Press
