For DJ Kareez, the death of Prudencio Hergueta Perez, popularly known as DJ Paco Perez, is not simply the loss of a fellow disc jockey. It is the loss of a close friend with whom he shared a passion for music, a profession and decades of memories.
Their last conversation was about a reunion in Kenya.
Paco, who was battling cancer, had hoped to recover and return to the country where he spent some of the most defining years of his life. Kareez had also planned to visit him in Spain in September but was unable to travel because of visa complications.
“All I want to do is mourn peacefully as I remember all the good times we had together over the years, as DJs and as good friends. We had so much in common despite the age difference, and I learned so much from him as he also learned so much from me. Our last conversation was about how he planned to come and visit me in Kenya when he recovered because I was not able to go to Spain in September as planned due to visa issues. I have lost a very special friend. One day, cancer will be defeated,” Kareez mourned.
Paco died on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, after a six-month battle with cancer. He was hospitalised when he succumbed to complications following a short infection, his family announced.
Renowned Spanish DJ Paco Perez tries his hand on a DJ's deck at Ridge Ways Inn, popularly known as The-Yard along Kiambu Road, in 2018.
Photo credit: Eric Wainaina| Pool| Nation Media Group
For Nairobi's older generation of music lovers, his death marks the end of an era. But for the DJs who watched him command the decks at Club Boomerang, his greatest legacy lies beyond the packed dance floors and unforgettable Saturday nights. He was a pioneer, an entertainer and, perhaps most importantly, a teacher who helped shape Kenya's deejaying culture.
David Muriithi, popularly known as DJ D-Lite, describes Paco as part of the origin story of modern Kenyan deejaying.
Before the proliferation of radio stations and the arrival of digital music platforms, club DJs were among the most influential figures shaping the musical tastes of young Kenyans. For aspiring disc jockeys, watching Paco perform was an education in itself.
“Paco Perez, to me, is an origins story... a story about discotheques and celebrity DJs. Other than radio presenters on VOK/KBC, the only other people who influenced our music tastes were the club DJs. Many of us older DJs will attest to watching Paco at Club Boomerang with fascination and awe — a prelude to our taking up the art,” he said.
D-Lite, who eventually shared a stage with Paco and Kareez in 2019, remembers him as an inspiration and a big brother.
“I was honoured to do a gig with him together with DJ Kareez in 2019. Rest well, my big brother. Till we spon again!!” he said.
For DJ Mdosi, the former house DJ at Florida 2000, Paco was also part of a close-knit entertainment fraternity whose members crossed paths at Nairobi's leading nightspots.
Mdosi worked at Boathouse while Paco was at Hollywood. Their paths crossed again when Paco moved to Boomerang and Mdosi joined Florida 2000.
He remembers Boomerang as a place where music lovers could discover songs long before they became widely available.
“Boomerang was the place you could hear the latest songs, which were rare to get since they used to come in vinyl,” he recalled.
Their last encounter was at Nakuru's 64 Lounge, where Paco celebrated his 72nd birthday. “RIP, bro,” Mdosi said.
For thousands of revellers, however, Paco's name will forever be associated with Club Boomerang on Museum Hill, where Saturday nights became a ritual for Nairobi's soul, funk, rhythm and blues, and disco enthusiasts.
Minnie Ngina, a soul music enthusiast, remembers a DJ whose understanding of music went beyond playing popular records.
“Ah, Paco! If you were there, you know. Boomerang on Museum Hill was never the same without him.
“That man could play soul like nobody else. Drums, mixing, vibes — the dance floor was always full!
“We danced, we laughed, we fell in love to his music. Real good old days.
“Thank you, Paco, you were the best. We will never forget you. May your soul rest in eternal peace.”
Paco arrived in Kenya in 1974 as a guitarist in a Spanish band performing at the InterContinental Hotel in Nairobi. He initially worked as a musician before venturing into deejaying as discotheques gained popularity.
Renowned Spanish DJ Paco Perez tries his hand on a DJ's deck at Ridge Ways Inn, popularly known as The-Yard along Kiambu Road, in 2018.
Photo credit: Eric Wainaina| Pool| Nation Media Group
His career took him through several entertainment establishments, including Pasha Club, Tamango Club, later known as Visions, and Hollywood.
But it was at Boomerang, where he began playing in 1982, that he cemented his reputation.
In a 2022 interview, Paco recalled the club's distinctive atmosphere and its ambition to offer something different from other entertainment spots.
“Boomerang was real funky. We tried to do something… something unusual. I started playing there in 1982 and I was there for around 10 years,” he said.
“It was magical,” he recalled of nights when revellers danced until morning.
His technique set him apart. At a time when digital equipment was not the industry standard, Paco manually mixed and scratched vinyl records, relying on precision, timing and an intimate understanding of rhythm to create seamless transitions.
He also incorporated live drumming into his performances, giving his sets a distinctive identity.
Soul music enthusiast Felix Mburu says Paco understood that successful deejaying was as much about connecting with an audience as it was about technical skill.
“A true pioneer who changed the rhythm of Kenya. You weren’t just a soul DJ; you were a listener who truly connected with your crowd. You gave us the music that moved our souls, and your warmth on and off the decks will never be forgotten. Rest easy, my friend Paco,” he said.
DJ Paco Perez of Spain during one of his appearances in Kenya. The DJ died on November 3, 2026.
Photo credit: Pool
At a time when DJ skills were largely acquired through observation and experience, he opened his doors to young Kenyans eager to learn the technical side of the profession.
He taught mixing, scratching, beat matching and music selection, helping nurture a generation of DJs who would go on to establish their own careers. Among those associated with his mentorship were Tito, Shabadoo, Adams and Stone.
“Paco was the best. He mixed and scratched manually. He taught many DJs, including Tito, Shabadoo, Adams, Stone and others.”
His influence extended beyond the DJ fraternity to dancers whose performances were shaped by the music he played.
Veteran dancer Paul ‘Cracker’ Munyao, who died in January 2026, had previously acknowledged Paco's contribution to Nairobi's dance culture in the 1980s.
“His mixing contributed hugely to my winning of the 1988 Motorbike Competition,” he said.
It was this relationship between the DJ and the dancer that helped define Boomerang's entertainment culture. Paco supplied the rhythm; dancers transformed it into performances that became part of Nairobi's nightlife folklore.
His career also reflected a period when building a DJ's reputation demanded an extensive music collection, technical ability and the instinct to read a crowd. Before streaming platforms and digital libraries, discovering new music required effort. Vinyl records and cassettes were prized possessions, and a DJ's collection often determined what an audience could hear.
Ruth Vanessa, who describes herself as the Queen of Soul, paid tribute to Paco as a bridge between generations of music lovers.
“You've left a legacy to the generations to come... The impact is deep and profound... Thank you for the disco nights... and knocking our feet to your rhythm of Soul Train... Thank you, our legendary DJ Paco Perez... Rest well... as we treasure your memories with lots of nostalgia,” she said.
Cyril Kemboi, who visited Boomerang in 1988 while a resident at the University of Nairobi, recalled the excitement of watching Paco at work.
“Paco forever. You changed Kenya’s DJs. From Club Boomerang, across Uhuru Highway from Hall 3, where I was a resident at UoN in 1988, I visited the club one night and saw you spinning the discs in a cabin. The guys were crazy. Rest in eternal peace, legend,” he said.
Kenya was more than a workplace for Paco. It had become home. At Boomerang, he met Janet, the Kenyan woman who would become his wife. After years in the country, he relocated to Germany before eventually settling in Madrid, Spain, with Janet.
Distance did little to weaken his connection with Kenya. He returned for performances in 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2022, reuniting with old friends and audiences at events celebrating Nairobi's golden age of nightlife.
In a 2022 interview, he reflected on the special relationship he had built with Kenyan audiences.
“I am known better by Kenyans. They understand me, I understand them. I am nothing without Kenyans,” he said.
His family echoed that sentiment in a statement announcing his death, saying his music and memories would endure.
“Although his journey has come to an end, his music, his spirit, and the memories he created will live on in the hearts of everyone who knew him,” the family said.
The records may have stopped spinning, but the lessons he passed on continue through the DJs he inspired, while the dancers and music lovers he entertained carry memories of an era he helped create.
Paco Perez did not simply play music for a generation of Kenyans. He taught a generation how to find its rhythm.
