On Jan. 7, Dominican superstar El Alfa posted a grief-stricken message on Instagram following the death of his grandmother Ramonita, and ended with a message of retirement for his nearly two-decade career.

“I know life goes on, but my feelings don’t go unnoticed. My grandmother taught me to love God above all things; therefore, I will mourn her in memory,” he expressed in the Instagram post . “Her happiness was to see me succeed, but I can’t even stay awake! I could have spent more time with her, but my work didn’t allow it. The days of my retirement are getting shorter. On December 18th of this year, I will never sing again. Rest in peace, Grandma. I love you.”

El Alfa, born Emanuel Herrera Batista, then followed up with the announcement of his farewell tour, El Último Baile (The Last

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