Colombian Yeison Jiménez, a singer-songwriter and star of “música popular,” died Saturday, Jan. 10, in a plane crash near Paipa, in the state of Boyacá in Colombia. He was 34.
Colombia’s Office of Air Traffic Accidents confirmed that an aircraft with registration N325FA crashed. The crash claimed the lives of six people, including Jiménez and his manager, Jefferson Osorio; Jiménez’s press office confirmed the news to Billboard Español.
At only 34 years old, Jiménez had already become one of the biggest names in Colombian popular music, or “música popular,” a genre that blends traditional Mexican ranchera music with Colombian roots. In 2024, he reached a major milestone in his career by selling out Bogotá’s Movistar Arena not once, but three times, drawing more than 40,000 fans in total.
This was a historic achievement for both Jiménez and the genre, as no other Colombian popular music artist had ever reached that milestone. Popular music in Colombia has its roots in the country’s coffee-growing region, which includes Caldas (where Jiménez was born), Quindío, Risaralda and Tolima.
The genre, which dates back to more than 50 years ago, was originally known as “música de carrilera” or “cantina music.” It was heavily influenced by Mexican regional music and gained traction in small towns and local bars, thanks to pioneers like Darío Gómez, Luis Alberto Posada and El Charrito Negro.
According to Jiménez, Darío Gómez was especially instrumental in shaping the genre, even though many doubted his vision when he first introduced the fusion in the ’70s.
Jiménez had lofty ambitions for his brand of music, and in 2024, he was part of a panel of música popular artists at Billboard Latin Music Week. Last year he fulfilled another dream: selling out Bogotá’s El Campín Stadium, becoming the first Colombian regional artist to do so.
He had been gearing up for a second show at El Campín, scheduled for March 28. Jiménez is survived by his wife and three children.
This story will be updated as more details become available.
