An absurd goodbye for a merengue icon
Because, of course, what better way to say goodbye to a legendary merenguero than with a collapse in the middle of the concert? Early this Tuesday morning, the roof of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo decided it had had enough partying and collapsed onto the stage, taking the life of Rubby Pérez with it and leaving a trail of unanswered questions (and, of course, debris).
The news that no one expected (or maybe they did, because buildings don’t usually fall on their own)
The local authorities, in their infinite wisdom, confirmed the obvious: the singer’s body was recovered among the remains of the place. His family, who happened to be right there, received the news with the usual delicacy in these cases: “Yes, your loved one is dead, but hey, at least we didn’t lose him in a Walmart.”
The ironic thing is that, hours before, his daughter Zulinka Pérez had declared to the media that her father was “hospitalized but alive”. Spoiler: I wasn’t. Although, to be fair, the man tried his thing: according to his daughter, he sang under the rubble as if it were a scene from a cheap soap opera. “If something happens to me, don’t take photos of me,” he had asked. It’s a shame that not even the structural collapse respected his last wishes.
The Jet Set: where the party ends in tragedy (and lawsuits)
The club, with capacity for two thousand people (although who knows how many there were that night, because counting them would be too logical), became a death trap. In addition to Pérez, the governor of Montecristi and the saxophonist on duty were also in the top 10 worst stage exits.
The owners of the place, in a display of originality, assured that “they cooperate with the authorities”. What a novelty! As if they had a choice. Meanwhile, the Emergency Director promised not to give up until everyone is rescued… or until their budget runs out, whichever comes first.
Moral? If you go to a concert, check the ceiling. And if you’re famous, avoid hosting events in buildings that look like they’re made of paper mache.
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