Dominican singer Rubby Pérez died in the roof collapse of the Jet Set nightclub while he was on stage with his daughter, Zulinka. His final decision saved his daughter’s life but sealed his own fate.
The tragedy occurred in the early morning hours of Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The Jet Set nightclub, one of the country’s most iconic nightlife venues, suddenly collapsed while Rubby Pérez was performing a show with his daughter Zulinka and other members of his orchestra.
The incident shocked those present, and the atmosphere of music and celebration turned into dust, screams, and darkness in seconds.
The Last Moment Shared on Stage
Before the collapse, Zulinka narrated that the audience asked her to perform the song “De color de Rosa,” a piece she usually sings. However, she didn’t feel up to doing it alone, so she turned to her father.
She explained, “I told him, ‘Daddy, I can’t sing well because I just had surgery, help me,’ and he told me, ‘Stay at your microphone, and I’ll go to mine.'”
During the performance, Rubby moved forward to stand in front of the microphone, the spot where his daughter would have been if not for his decision. Zulinka finished her part, and at that moment, the roof collapsed.
“If I had been at my dad’s microphone, I wouldn’t be here now. When I sang my part, he was going to the second part. And then everything collapsed, it went dark,” the young woman recounted through tears.
Desperation After the Collapse
Zulinka and her husband, who were backup singers for the merengue artist, managed to get out alive along with part of the team of musicians. Rubby, however, was not so lucky.
Amidst the collapse, her husband reacted quickly. “My husband threw himself on top of me and told me: ‘Mommy, get out, so if everything collapses, the child isn’t left alone,'” Zulinka recounted from the vicinity of the nightclub.
During the subsequent hours, she remained near the site, waiting for news about her father. “They won’t let me get close, but as soon as they tell me where he is going, I will go,” she affirmed.
The Official Confirmation of His Death
While the singer was still among the debris, his brother, Rafael Pérez, made public statements to stop rumors and confirm the family’s uncertainty. “We only trust that God’s grace will truly work a miracle,” he expressed in a video. “We hope he is alive,” he added.
However, more than 14 hours after the collapse, authorities notified the family that Rubby’s body had been found lifeless among the nightclub’s rubble.
Journalist Alicia Ortega confirmed the news during a live broadcast of the Dominican newscast Noticias SIN, where she reported that the artist had already been identified and his family had been notified.
Shortly after his death became known, a video went viral on social media showing the exact moment Zulinka received the news. In the images, she is seen completely devastated, screaming in pain, and being held by others to prevent her from falling to the ground.
The National Emergency Attention System of the Dominican Republic reported receiving more than 100 alert calls from the site and activated an operation that included 77 ambulances and seven rescue cranes.
The collapse of the Jet Set nightclub left an official toll that has now reached 113 dead and 250 injured, who were transferred to health centers. The event mobilized more than 300 rescuers, including firefighters, Civil Defense, National Police, Armed Forces, and 911 emergency personnel.
Messages from Followers
Rubby was a prominent figure in merengue, so after a night of celebration turned into tragedy, people couldn’t help but react. One person highlighted the action of Rubby’s son-in-law, who protected his wife in the face of the tragedy, commenting, “Father’s love and sacrifice in the most difficult moment: ‘Get out so the child isn’t left alone’.”
Another netizen applauded the same, “Like a true man [sic] the husband. 👏👏👏” One person was shocked by the circulating videos of the tragedy, adding, “A few seconds before, pieces started falling, and you can see some people looking up. 😢”
Faced with the same scene, another chose to blame the artists, writing, “They noticed things were falling from the ceiling and continued with the music. How outrageous.” “As soon as they saw something unusual, something falling from the ceiling, they should have left immediately. What a huge tragedy,” added one Univision follower.
In a desperate message before the confirmation of his death, Zulinka said that her father was loved by many. “I hope in the Lord that he is okay,” she continued in a choked voice.
That wish could not be fulfilled. But her words, her tears, and her father’s gesture of changing places with her on stage marked the final minutes of a life that ended up saving another.
After the Official Confirmation
The definitive confirmation of Rubby’s death was made by his manager, Enrique Paulino, in statements to the AFP agency. “That’s correct,” he affirmed when asked about the artist’s death. As he explained, at that moment, the family was still deciding on the funeral details.
Besides Rubby, other recognized victims of the collapse were former baseball player Octavio Dotel and Governor Nelsy Cruz. As a result, President Luis Abinader declared three days of national mourning.
During the rescue efforts, some witnesses claimed that Rubby might have tried to sing to be located, but these versions were not confirmed by authorities.
Rubby was 69 years old and considered one of the greatest merengue artists in Latin America. He had begun his career with Wilfrido Vargas before establishing himself as a soloist in the 1980s. His powerful voice earned him the nickname “The Highest Voice of Merengue.”
Born in Bajos de Haina, he initially dreamed of being a baseball player, but an accident in his youth cut that goal short. At 15, he was hit by a truck and suffered permanent injuries to his right leg. That turn in his life led him to study music at the National Conservatory and dedicate himself fully to singing.
The Jet Set nightclub, which had been operating for over five decades, issued a statement assuring its collaboration with the authorities and expressed its sorrow over the tragedy.
The news has caused shock both in the Dominican Republic and among the Latin American community abroad, where Rubby had a loyal fanbase.
