Colombian singer Yeison Jimenez, a leading figure in Colombia's popular music genre, died Saturday at age 34 after a private plane crash in a rural area of central Colombia, authorities said.
The plane went down shortly after taking off from the Paipa and Duitama airport in the department of Boyaca and was completely burned, authorities said.
The flight was headed to Medellin, where Jimenez was scheduled to perform as part of the traditional Fiestas Populares de la Vaca en la Torre in the town of Marinilla.
Concertgoers learned of Jimenez's death while the festival was underway. He was to perform later that night, and Marinilla Mayor Julio Cesar Serna went onstage to inform the audience.
"I want to share the sad news that the small plane carrying Yeison Jimenez has just crashed in Boyaca," Serna said. "His band is here, but is now leaving, and the information we are receiving nationally is that Yeison and everyone on board the flight have died."The Marinilla mayor's office said a minute of silence was observed during the festivities and a tribute was held in the time slot scheduled for the concert.
Authorities said a technical investigation has begun to determine the cause of the crash. Transportation Minister Maria Fernanda Rojas said investigators will review weather conditions, the aircraft's condition and communications prior to takeoff.
The tragedy took on added significance after the circulation of a podcast recorded in April in which Jimenez described a disturbing dream involving a plane crash.
"I see the accident three separate times. I've never talked about this before, no one knows," Jimenez said in the recording.
In the dream, he said he sensed something would go wrong as he boarded the plane and urgently asked the pilot to thoroughly check the aircraft before departure.
He then described a mechanical failure, a crash and his own death. During the interview, Jimenez briefly stopped speaking due to a headache and dizziness as he recalled the images.
Jimenez's career was on the rise. In 2021, Billboard named him Latin breakthrough artist. He filled major venues across Colombia and was scheduled to perform for a second time at El Campin stadium in Bogota in March 2026.
