Meet Érika Zaba’s Parents: Alberto Zaba Romano and Mrs. Romano

Érika Zaba, the celebrated Mexican singer and actress best known as a founding member of the iconic ’90s pop group OV7 (formerly Onda Vaselina), has remained a beloved figure in Latin pop culture for decades thanks to her vibrant stage presence, emotive vocals, and enduring resilience.

Born Érika Zaba Beltrán on June 15, 1978, in Mexico City, she is of Mexican heritage and was raised in a Christian household. Her parents, Alberto Zaba Romano and Mrs. Romano (whose first name remains private), tragically passed away in a car accident in 1994.

Érika, who survived the crash with serious injuries—including a skull fracture and brain swelling—was just 16 at the time and later took on a nurturing role for her younger sisters, Tania Zaba Beltrán and Jessica Zaba Beltrán.

Érika began her entertainment journey at the age of three, appearing in children’s TV programs such as Juguemos a Cantar, alongside early modeling, commercial work, and stage performances. She balanced school with her early start in show business, eventually rising to fame as part of one of Mexico’s most influential pop groups.

Érika is 47 years old and stands approximately 5’3″ (160 cm) tall. Her personal life includes a long-term past relationship with TV personality Juan José “Pepillo” Ulloa. She married actor Francisco Oliveros in 2017, and the couple has a son, Emiliano Oliveros.

Born into a close-knit family, Érika’s life was irrevocably shaped by the tragic loss of her parents—an event that interrupted her early success but also strengthened her resolve and deepened the emotional core of her artistry.

Today, as a devoted mother, wife, and enduring figure in the entertainment industry, she continues to honor her parents’ memory through heartfelt tributes, family traditions, and her ongoing career in Mexican pop culture.

Alberto Zaba Romano

Alberto Zaba Romano was Érika Zaba‘s devoted father, a man whose presence in her life symbolized stability, love, and quiet strength during her formative years.

He may have led a life away from the spotlight—Alberto was the anchor of the Zaba family, raising Érika alongside her two younger sisters, Tania Zaba Beltrán and Jessica Zaba Beltrán, in the bustling heart of Mexico City.

Érika has shared glimpses of his character through nostalgic reflections, portraying him as a tender, family-oriented figure whose wedding suit she later incorporated into her own 2017 nuptials as a poignant nod to his legacy.

The tragedy that defined their bond unfolded on a fateful family trip. In 1994, while driving back from a vacation in Acapulco to Mexico City, the family’s vehicle encountered a treacherous curve marred by landslides and fallen rocks on a notoriously dangerous highway.

The crash was instantaneous and catastrophic: Alberto died at the scene, along with his wife, leaving 16-year-old Érika critically injured with a skull fracture and brain swelling that required months of hospitalization and intensive therapy.

Érika, seated directly behind her father, was in a coma for two days and shielded from the full news of his passing until her condition stabilized—a decision by doctors and family that spared her immediate devastation but amplified the emotional reckoning later.

In the years since, Érika has spoken candidly about the irreplaceable void left by Alberto. “I will never understand why, and I will never accept it,” she reflected in a 2025 interview on the podcast Montse & Joe, her voice breaking with raw honesty.

Yet, she credits the values instilled by her father—resilience, family first—with propelling her back to the stage. After eight months of recovery, Érika rejoined OV7, not just as a performer, but as the de facto guardian of her sisters, stepping into a parental role that echoed Alberto‘s protective nature.

Legal documents from 2010 further underscore his lasting impact, as Érika represented Tania in accepting his intestate inheritance, a testament to the daughters’ unbreakable familial tie.

Mrs. Romano

Mrs. Romano, Érika Zaba‘s nurturing mother (whose first name has not been publicly disclosed to respect the family’s privacy), was the heart and soul of the household, embodying warmth, grace, and an unyielding maternal love that Érika still evokes with profound tenderness.

As the wife of Alberto Zaba Romano, she co-parented their three daughters in Mexico City, fostering an environment rich in creativity and closeness that undoubtedly fueled Érika‘s early foray into modeling, commercials, and children’s TV at age three.

Érika‘s Mexican heritage, Christian faith, and deep-rooted family values trace back to her mother’s influence, a woman whose elegance was immortalized in a vintage wedding gown from over 45 years ago.

Like her husband, Mrs. Romano‘s life was cut short in the same heartbreaking 1994 accident on the Acapulco-Mexico City highway. The family’s ill-fated journey home from vacation ended in a collision with road debris, claiming her life instantly and leaving Érika to grapple with unimaginable loss amid her own severe injuries.

Hospitalized for brain inflammation and fractures, Érika was gradually informed of her mother’s death only after stabilizing—a mercy that allowed physical healing before emotional collapse, but one that Érika later described as a delayed “tsunami” of grief.

For months, she underwent therapy while her sisters were cared for by extended family, a period that tested the bonds Mrs. Romano had so carefully woven.

Érika‘s tributes to her mother are laced with poignant sentimentality, none more so than during her 2017 wedding to Francisco Oliveros. In a pre-ceremony photoshoot dubbed the “wedding of the year,” Érika donned her mother’s heirloom bridal dress, a flowing symbol of timeless love that connected generations across the tragedy.

“I wanted them present in every detail,” she shared, tears underscoring the ritual’s healing power. In recent reflections, such as her 2025 Montse & Joe appearance, Érika admits the pain remains “brutal and honest,” rejecting easy closure: “It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t mine to bear.”

Yet, she finds solace in life’s recompense—a devoted husband, son, and chosen family—that mirrors the generosity her mother extended. Through songs like those from OV7‘s repertoire and her acting roles, Érika channels Mrs. Romano‘s spirit, ensuring her legacy of quiet strength endures for her sisters, fans, and future generations.