Raffy Matias Was A Talented Merengue Musician Who Tragically Lost His Life At 55
Raffy Matias, a Dominican singer and producer, tragically lost his life at the age of 55 at a medical center in La Vega on October 2, 2024.
He was suffering from illnesses related to his stomach, throat, and skin, which caused him to lose weight around 90 to 100 pounds in recent years.
Highlights
- Raffy Matias, born September 26, 1969, was the son of Daniel Enrique Matias and Santa Eva Rodriguez Ravelo.
- He had to abandon his studies to return to his hometown to support his family.
- He married Yudelka Sanchez in 1999 and raised five children.
Rafael Enrique Matias Rodriguez had artistic influences from a young age, which helped him lean towards music.
At the age of 10, he was in the choir of the Oratorio Don Bosco and learned to play the bass from the Salesian Aspirancy Santo Domingo Savio.
He had developed a strong interest artistically and learned to play the guitar independently.
Raffy won a contest at the La Voz Regional Festival during high school and formed a musical group called Jaraba. They performed for several years in different places in their city.
Raffy Matias Had Great Talent In merengue
Raffy Matias, the son of Daniel Enrique Matias and Santa Eva Rodriguez Ravelo, was born on September 26, 1969, in Jarabacoa, La Vega Province, Dominican Republic.
His father was a broadcaster and poet, and his mother was a teacher and director. They hailed from the Dominican Republic.
Lamentable……
Se nos fue Raffy Matías hijo de Jarabacoa, nieto de La Vega y hermano de todos los dominicanos, como le decíamos.
Como no recordar, en el año 2003, cuando hiciste el primer programa de Picoteando el Espectáculo por Vegateve desde La Vega.
Paz a su alma! pic.twitter.com/LZ9EZc12k8— PicoteandoTV (@PicoteandoTV) October 3, 2024
Raffy’s parents weren’t financially established at that time. Thus, he had to abandon his studies to return to his hometown to support his family.
He had moved to the capital of the Dominican Republic at 16 and studied Systems Engineering at the University of O & M but dropped out after completing 4 semesters.
Later, he studied piano and joined Hermanos en la Via. He formed a band, ROL, with the initials of its members: Raffy, Olvi, and Ludwig.
The Dominican singer met Julio Sosa in 1995 and recorded his first production, Acusame. It was planned to be a ballad, but he decided to make the songs in merengue.
In 1998, he won the Casandra Award for the best merengue singer and produced another album, Porque te Amo, in 2002.
Furthermore, he took his talent worldwide and collaborated with Luis Miguel del Amargue. In 2010, he signed with the Spanish record label Producciones VuelOkey.
He was ranked 76th on YouTube and 63rd on Soundcloud in the last 12 months.
Raffy married Yudelka Sanchez in 1999 and had three children: Wilfran Manuel, Wander Rafael, and Wenzel Jacobs.
He had two additional children from his previous relationship, Raphy and Julio Cesar.
Additional Information
- Raffy Matias is a multifaceted artist who ventured into different genres.
- His health was deteriorating for months for several months, and he even asked for help from the President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader.
- Many of his fellow merengue singers have mourned his tragic demise, and his body will be displayed on Thursday at the Blandino Funeral Home in La Vega.
