Yampano is becoming a household name in Rwandan music industry and 2025 could certainly be a defining year for his career as he continues to enjoy a fantastic breakthrough. ALSO READ: Meet Yampano, a budding R&B artiste Born Florien Uworizagwira, Yampano officially launched his career in music in 2021 but he initially struggled to gain public attention despite his impressive composition skills and melodious voice. “Watch this young talent out. He is very talented. Just give him a platform, one day you will realize what I am telling you,” artistes’ manager Alex Muyoboke told journalists in 2021. It was not until late 2024 that his talent got people talking after his two 2024 tracks ‘Sibyanjye’ and ‘Ngo’ (ft Papa Cyangwe), dominated the charts in Rwanda. The two songs opened doors for him and opportunities are coming his way. He has, for instance, been making headlines since his electric performance at BK Arena during the New Year Groove, Plenty Love album launch concert headlined by RnB star, The Ben on January 1. The Ben was on various occasions heard saying that he admires Yampano’s music and he eventually promised to give him an opportunity to perform before thousands of concert goers at his concert despite the fact that he was not part of the performance lineup. “Four days before the show, I got a call from producer Noopja. He told me that The Ben really loves my music and listens to my songs so often, Yampano recalls in an interview with The New Times. That performance really boosted my career. It was the perfect moment for something like that to happen. I’m truly grateful to The Ben for such a gesture. It meant the world to me,” the singer added. clearly overjoyed by the experience, Yampano said he was overwhelmed by the audience’s reception which left him not surprised but convinced that his “efforts in music don’t go unnoticed.” Yampano was born and raised in a Christian family in Nyamasheke District, Western Province. His father played the guitar in church, while his mother and siblings were members of the choir. Although he wasn’t part of the church choir, his passion for music drove him to learn guitar, inspired by his father. He discovered his musical potential during his high school days and has since pursued it as a career. At 24, Yampano, who was previously signed to TB Music Entertainment, is working independently. He has released a list of songs, including 'Uworizagwira', 'Mayibobo', 'Cano', Inzira' featuring Yvanny Mpano, 'Nuwande', 'Priave', 'Ngo', 'Sibyanjye', 'Uwomuntu,' among others. Yampano may be excited by the progress he is making in music so far but he claims promoters make their journey pretty difficult over not giving young artistes platform to show their talent to the public. “They seem to be people who just got lucky in the music industry. You could question their background in music. I believe that any singer with at least 200,000 authentic YouTube views shouldn’t be overlooked when it comes to performing on big stages. That’s my opinion,” he said. ALSO READ: DEBATE: Who is to blame for our struggling entertainment industry? What’s in store in 2025? After releasing a four-track EP ‘Igikwiye’ in January, Yampano is preparing for the release of his debut album, Niwe Sha, which will focus on themes of daily life philosophy. This reflects his artistic approach to songwriting and composition. “People shouldn’t rush to judge someone’s talent. Talent has no standard measurement. Everyone, whether new to the music scene or experienced, deserves respect. No one should doubt things that follow their own path. Let’s give everyone the time and opportunity they deserve,” he emphasized.
