After two years of recording, singer Yvan Buravan has announced that he will release his second album on December 19. The album, dubbed ‘Twaje’, comprises 10 songs namely ‘Bwiza’ ft Andy Bumuntu, ‘I Love You Too’, ‘Tiku Tiku’, ‘Ye Ayee’, ‘Ituro (tribute song), Twaje’, ‘VIP’ ft Ish Kevin and Pro Zed, ‘Impore’ DJ Marnaud and Ruti, ‘Ni Yesu’ and ‘Twaje’, after which the album was named. In his new album, the majority of Buravan’s songs on his upcoming album are a fusion of modern and traditional music with the singer increasingly showing interest in bringing a cultural vibe in his music to maintain the identity of Rwandan music. His decision to bring in a traditional vibe in his music was inspired by the tour he did in different parts of Africa a few years after winning the 2019 Prix Decouverte RFI. “The tour was a pretty good experience for me because people enjoyed my music wherever I performed. But the biggest lesson I learned from the tour is that not any of the songs that I performed represented where I really come from, my roots,” he recalled. “The fact that most songs on my album have some traditional flavor is a result of what I learned from my tour. I just can’t wait to drop this album and I hope people will love it,” he added. Many local artists are doing music with focus on what can attract the attention of their supporters but with less focus on culture values, something that the public has been criticizing them for in recent years, blaming them for their lack of respect to Rwanda’s cultural norms. While some artists think it’s all about doing music that sells, Buravan is confident that he has no fear to stick with fusing modernity with some traditional vibes as part of playing his part in using his music to maintain the national identity through culture. “I am convinced that this is the right thing to do for our music and I believe that if everybody contributes, nothing can fail. So I am sure, with the current vibe which is still impeccable, my music can still succeed,” he said. I want to be a modern artist, of course I am in the modern age, but I can at least make sure that what I do has connection with my roots. My country has its own culture. So I have to share it through my music,” he added. Twaje, which loosely translates as ‘We’re Coming’, is Buravan’s second album after his successful debut album ‘The Love Lab’ that he launched three years ago. The singer has his focus promoting Rwandan cultural identity not only through giving his music a traditional vibe as he also keeps his eyes set on implementing his project ‘Twande’ which aims at educating and promoting traditional dances from the grassroots. The singer is, November 27, presenting to the public what his initiative is intended for during a cultural event scheduled to take place at Cleo Hotel in Karongi District. The singer is also preparing a concert for the album on July 30, next year. To ensure its success, Buravan is encouraging his fellow artists and other players in the creative industry associated with culture to support his movement. In the beginning, the singer sought support from Masamba, who has ample experience in traditional dances as the trainer of national ballet ‘Urukerereza’, to help him understand how best he can implement his project. Buravan is positive the movement can bear fruits as long people show collective efforts to support it. “I can’t do this alone. I don’t think this is a project for me anymore, we should rather let it be a movement that everyone should be part of. I need more support people around me, beginning from fellow artists,” said the singer.
