Buravan Doesn’t Want to Appeal to Just One Audience

Some soul music. Add an Afro-pop junction. Some Rwandan pop with a traditional touch. And perhaps a little bit of R&B. Yvan Buravan’s new album, titled Twaje (translates “we are coming”), is a mix of genres that define his worldview. It is also very much about how sees himself and how he wants to be seen.

In November, Buravan (born Yvan Burabyo) launched an initiative dubbed Twande (translates “let’s expand”) which, he says, aims to “let the world know about the gold in our culture [...].” He was the 2018 recipient of Prix Découvertes, an annual prize by Radio France International (RFI). Ever since, Buravan also sees himself in the image of what Rwanda can achieve beyond its borders through culture and music.