Trace East Africa announced on Friday, September 2, that they has dedicated a 30-minute segment (From 9PM to 9:30 PM) in Trace Mziki show to pay tribute to Rwandan late singer Yvan Buravan. “Your star will always shine and your legacy will live on forever” Trace Eastern Africa tweeted announcing that program. He succumbed to pancreatic cancer after weeks of battling the sickness at the age of 27. Who was Yvan Buravan? Born on April 27, 1995 in Gikondo, Kicukiro District, to Michael Burabyo and Elizabeth Uwikunda, Buravan was the last born of six siblings. He went to Ecole Le Petit Prince for his primary education and College Amis des Enfants as well as La Colombiere for his secondary education before joining University of Rwanda – College of Business and Economics, to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Business Information and Technology. He started his music career in 2009 under the stage name Yvan Buravan but it was not until 2015 when he had a major breakout as an R&B and afro-beat singer and songwriter who went on to release songs such as ‘Urwo Ngukunda’, featuring Uncle Austin, ‘Malaika’, ‘Just a dance’ and many others. He was the first Rwandan musician to have won the Prix Découvertes RFI musical award in 2018, which propelled him to the bigger stage and put him among the most promising artists in the region. Buravan released his debut album, ‘The love Lab’, in 2018 after winning the Prix Découvertes RFI and as part of his winning package, he toured 12 African countries. He is known for songs like ‘Low Key’, ‘With You’, ‘Heaven’, ‘Bindimo’, ‘Si Belle’, ‘Just a Dance’, ‘Gusaakaara’, among others, which made him a household name over the past decade. He was awarded the Prix Découvertes RFI 2022 posthumously following his passing.
