Madrid’s DJ, poet, and artist JOVENDELAPERLA passes away at 27

After battling rare bone cancer, Ewing’s sarcoma.

Photo credit: JOVENDELAPERLA – Instagram

Madrid’s DJ, poet, and artist, JOVENDELAPERLA, known offstage as Perla Zúñiga, has passed away at the age of 27 following a battle with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. The news was confirmed by the Sónar Festival on July 15th.

Diagnosed in 2016, Perla Zúñiga continued to make significant contributions to the arts and music scenes despite her illness. Perla was the visionary founder of the collective and club night CULPA and a resident DJ at MARICAS, a prominent queer techno party in Barcelona. She was a staunch advocate for creating safe and inclusive environments for trans and non-binary individuals within the nightlife community.

In a heartfelt statement, the Sónar Festival mourned her loss, “Yesterday we lost JOVENDELAPERLA. DJ, poet, artist, founder of the collective and club night CULPA, MARICAS resident, and more, Perla Zúñiga was an essential part of our scene, who endlessly fought to create safe spaces in nightlife for trans and non-binary people.”