It was a moment of grief as hundreds of family, government officials, friends, fellow artists and fans bid their farewell to Yvan Buravan. The deceased R&B singer was laid to rest in burial ceremony held on Wednesday, August 24, at Rusororo cemetery in Gasabo District.
Buravan succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 27, on August 17, in India where he had travelled for treatment earlier this month.
The singer, real name Yvan Dushime Burabyo, was transferred to India on August 4, with the support of the Rwandan government, for advanced care after weeks of being unwell, amid speculation about his health.
He was, upon arrival, received by Rwanda’s High Commissioner to India Jacqueline Mukangira.
Mukangira, who was shocked by Buravan’s passing, sent condolences to the family and friends of the deceased in an open letter.
During a requiem mass held at EAR Remera Anglican Church, different relatives shared testimonies of Buravan’s personality, describing him as a kind person who loved to live a happy life.
"Yvan was so nice to many of us. You may think that I am praising him because I am his relative but you won’t find a different answer if you ask his friends. He was a person who apologized when he commited a mistake... he always wanted to laugh...to be happy,” said Manzi, Buravan’s cousin.
Even though he died at a young age, Pastor Antoine Rutayisire said it was God’s plan and timing that he had to go at such an age.
"Whatever years you live, life is short. Yvan was a star. God knew when he would be born and how long he would last,” he said.
Referring to Psalm 90:12 which reads ‘So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom’, Rutayisire called on believers to use their time on earth to do good for others.
After the requiem mass, his body was taken to Rusororo for burial during which phones and cameras were restricted from taking videos. Only a few authorized cameras were allowed to take videos.
The star-studded burial attracted a host of celebrities from different sectors of the creative industry, government officials, his management, New Level, which raised and promoted him to the international music scene as well as the fans who have loved his music since he started his music career in 2014.
The huge turn up defined how big he was in the music industry.
"Rwandan music has lost a star, the family lost a son but heaven has gained ‘a true angel’,” said a fan who could not control his tears.
Born April 27, 1995 in Gikondo, Kicukiro District, Buravan was the last born in a family of six to Michael Burabyo and Elizabeth Uwikunda.
He was a vocalist, song composer and singer who started singing at a tender age with the help of his brother who bought him a small piano when he was only five. At the same age, he was a good football player in his neighborhood until music stole his attention.
Buravan 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.
Buravan rose to stardom in 2015 after signing a contract with New Level, a record label that was managing big artistes in Rwanda including, Active Again.
With the help of New Level, Buravan produced a number of hit songs including, ‘Urwo Ngukunda’, which came out in 2015 featuring Uncle Austin, who is credited for introducing him to the mainstream music scene, and "Malaika” released in 2016 that propelled him into the limelight.
The success of the two tracks made Buravan release more projects like 'Ninjye Nawe', 'Just a Dance,' 'This is Love,' 'Oya,' 'Garagaza', 'Si Belle,' among others.
In 2018, Buravan released his debut album, ‘The Love Lab’, after being the first Rwandan musician to win the Prix Decouvertes RFI musical and as part of the winning package, he made a tour to 12 African countries, making it his first tour.