A vibrant voice has been silenced. Colombian música popular singer Yeison Jiménez, just 34 years old, perished in a plane crash on Saturday afternoon, leaving a nation in mourning. The small aircraft, carrying Jiménez and five others, failed to gain altitude shortly after takeoff from Paipa Airport in Tundama Province.
Witnesses on the ground captured harrowing footage of the doomed flight. Screams erupted as the plane appeared to run out of runway, its descent culminating in a fiery impact. Jiménez was en route to a performance in Medellin, a concert that would now remain tragically unfulfilled.
Just moments before boarding, the singer shared a poignant message on social media: “Always humble, because what God gives you he can also take away.” The words now resonate with heartbreaking irony, a premonition of the sudden loss that was to come. His photographer, Weisman Mora, who documented their final moments together on the plane, was also among those lost.
The crash claimed the lives of pilot Hernando Torres, and passengers Juan Manuel Rodriguez, Oscar Marin, and Jefferson Osorio, alongside Jiménez and Mora. Authorities confirmed all six occupants died at the scene, bringing a devastating end to a journey filled with promise.
Jiménez wasn’t just a musician; he was a force revitalizing a beloved genre. Over his career, he penned more than 70 songs and released eight albums, captivating audiences with his unique blend of traditional Mexican ranchera and Colombian sounds. He had recently achieved a historic milestone, becoming the first Colombian artist to sell out Bogotá’s Movistar Arena twice.
The tragedy is compounded by a chilling revelation: Jiménez had previously spoken of recurring dreams foretelling a plane crash. During a podcast interview, he described vivid premonitions, seeing the accident unfold three times in his dreams while on tour in Spain. He spoke of a captain’s words, “Yer, we’re ready,” moments before the imagined disaster.
His stepdaughter, Camila Jiménez, shared her grief online, expressing the unbearable pain of losing a father figure. “I love you dad,” she wrote, “You don’t know how much it hurts me to see your videos and for you not to be here.” Fans echoed her sorrow, remembering Jiménez as a talented artist, a loving father, and a beacon of Colombian culture.
The regional government of Boyaca remembered Jiménez as “one of the most representative figures of Colombian popular music,” extending their condolences to his wife, three children, and countless fans. His legacy, though tragically cut short, will undoubtedly endure through his music and the memories he created.
