Jet Set: 50 years of history and a sad ending

Santo Domingo  — The Jet Set discotheque, founded in 1973 by Grecia López in Santo Domingo, began as a restaurant-discotheque and quickly established itself as a benchmark for nightlife entertainment in the country.

Over the years, the establishment has witnessed the evolution of tropical music, hosting iconic artists of merengue, salsa, bachata, and urban music, including figures such as Fernando Villalona, Eddy Herrera, Zacarías Ferreira, and Don Miguelo.

In 2010, the Ministry of Culture declared it a “Safe physical space for the promotion and diffusion of merengue,” highlighting its contribution to the country’s cultural development.

But in the early hours of Tuesday morning, what began as another night of celebration ended in one of the biggest tragedies that the capital of the Caribbean country has experienced in recent years.

So far, 222 people have died, and more than a hundred were injured after the roof of the famous Santo Domingo nightclub collapsed during a musical performance.

Jet Set was founded in 1973 by businesswoman Ana Grecia Lopez as “a new home for Dominican artists.”

“Jet Set is my life, as long as I feel up to it I will come here, even if it’s with a cane,” said Lopez in 2018, after receiving a plaque of recognition during the discotheque’s 45th anniversary celebration party, which featured the participation of renowned merengueros Fernando Villalona and Toño Rosario.

Located on Independencia Avenue in the National District, an area where much of the nightlife takes place with elegant nightclubs and bars as well as high-end hotels and restaurants, Jet Set was the stage where many well-known Dominican and foreign artists such as Eddy Herrera, Don Omar, Johnny Ventura, Sergio Vargas, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Oscar D’León and Wilfrido Vargas performed over the years.