The grieving parents of a “virtuoso” 14-year-old musician who died while on holiday in Amsterdam are seeking answers over their son’s death.
Despite his young age, multi-instrumentalist Raymi Saldaña Rojas had won multiple prestigious awards and performed alongside the BBC Symphony Orchestra at Maida Vale studios, while becoming the youngest person ever to play at London’s Jazz Cafe.
But in July 2024, while on holiday with friends and their family in Amsterdam, the London-born teenager’s life was cut short during a boat trip, when Raymi – who was unable to swim – ended up in the water.
Raymi’s parents, Jeanette Rojas and Carlos Saldaña, told The Independent that they are still seeking answers over the circumstances of his death at the IJ bay in Amsterdam’s waterfront, at which point they said “our world was destroyed”.
While a coroner will soon hold an inquest, the family are not eligible for legal aid representation during the hearing, and are seeking to crowdfund the money required to pay for barristers and solicitors, via a CrowdJustice page.
They have so far raised close to £20,000, in large part thanks to “amazing support” from the Hispanic and Latin American community in London.
But Raymi’s mother and father – who are also musicians, from Bolivia and Peru respectively, and who played in a trio with Raymi called Sagrada Familia – remain a long way from the £58,000 target their lawyers advise could be required.
Mr Saldaña said: “We are crying a lot. I feel useless. I used to play instruments to support people because it’s my [way] of life … and now I am stuck. I can’t play because [everything reminds] me of my son and it hurts me a lot.
“So I really appreciate if people can help to solve what happened, because we don’t know – we need answers.”
Ms Rojas said: “Since my son was little, he was always with us – we were together as a family. That was our way to live – with music, with family, with community. So all the community know Raymi. This is why the community is giving back, but still we are far [from the target].”
Describing the impact of her son’s loss, Ms Rojas said: “One day we were as happy as any other parent, expecting [to see] our child – Raymi was our only son – growing more, achieve all their dreams, to have a family maybe.”
She added: “We are trying to understand – why us, why our son. I could die, but why my son? He deserved to live. As parents, we are grieving so much, but it is about my son – his voice was cut off. No one can explain.
“My son, as – all young children – had his own world, his own dreams, but now from one moment to another everything is gone. Every morning we try to say ‘oh no, this is a nightmare and we’re going to wake up’. But never.
“So we want to tell our story with others, because we don’t want any other families to suffer a similar story. Maybe after we find some justice, if it’s possible, honour my son how he deserves, [how great] he was. And maybe he can inspire other children.
“But for the moment we want to find the truth and this is justice for us to know what happened.”
An obituary in The Guardian by journalist Silvia Rothlisberger, a family friend, described Raymi as “passionate about peace, justice and humanity” and said he “will be remembered for his kindness and humility”.
Having gone to William Ellis school in Gospel Oak, Raymi was supported for four years by the London Music Fund and attended Music Education Islington, where he played as part of the flute ensemble.
Aged nine, he won an award from Young Sounds UK, which saw him play at the Royal Academy of Music, Leeds Conservatoire, and the BBC’s Maida Vale studios. In 2023, aged 13, he won an “honourable mention” at the Royal Academy-hosted New Talent festival.
Raymi was also an avid reader and poet, and his school has set up an English writing award in his name, as well as an award for music at Music Education Islington.
His mother told The Independent: “It’s so beautiful to see how they are honouring him, but in the end that’s not filling our empty souls. But what can we do? We have to continue.
“I hope that people can be touched by our story and support us … to ensure that we have a good investigation and go beyond – not just the inquest – to find real justice.”
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