In 2015, renowned sports and entertainment journalist David Bayingana discovered the music of the late Yvan Buravan in a very unexpected way. He heard Buravan’s song “Bindimo” on KFM Radio.
At that time, KFM Radio was known for programs that focused mainly on music. David Bayingana, who closely followed the music scene, heard the song and really liked it. But there was one problem: he did not know the artist who sang it.
David was surprised to hear such a good song by a Rwandan artist without knowing who the singer was. Since he liked the song so much and did not want to lose or forget it, he recorded a short part of it so that he could use it later to find the artist.
After that, he started asking different people, including some of his colleagues, if they knew the artist behind the song. He played them the short recording he had made, asking if they recognized the singer. However, finding the artist was not easy.
The reason was simple: Yvan Buravan was still a young and upcoming artist at the time, and his name was not yet well known in Rwanda’s music industry.
David continued looking for information until he eventually came across producer Bob Pro, who was working with Buravan at the time. Bob Pro helped connect David Bayingana with Buravan, allowing the two to finally meet.
That meeting became the beginning of a new chapter in Buravan’s career. After hearing his talent through the song “Bindimo,” David saw potential in the young artist and believed he needed support and opportunities to showcase his talent.
David then introduced him to New Level, a record label that was already well known in Rwanda’s music industry. At the time, Active Again was one of the popular music groups working with the New Level label.
At New Level, Buravan got an opportunity to continue developing his talent. David also helped him with the production of the music video for “Bindimo.” This was easier because David was working at TV10 at the time, and the video was also filmed there.
The music video was directed by producer Meddy Saleh, who was also working with New Level. Their collaboration helped Buravan get more opportunities to showcase his talent and build his name in the Rwandan music industry.
From that point, Yvan Buravan’s musical journey continued to grow. He released several songs that became popular among Rwandans, gradually becoming one of the most recognized and loved artists in Rwanda.
What started with a short recording of a song heard on the radio eventually became the beginning of a connection between David Bayingana and an artist who would go on to leave a lasting mark on Rwanda’s music industry.
