Bukuru Celestin

Bukuru Celestin is a Music Lab student who graduated from Patrick Henry High School and now attends Virginia Western Community College.

Bukuru is originally from Burundi Africa and moved to the United States in 2008. Bukuru writes, records and performs gospel music in the Afrobeat style. He is often joined by his sisters, Furaha, Elvanie, and Ephrasie who sing background vocals on many of Bukuru’s recordings and live performances.

Through Jefferson Center’s Music Lab and a number of generous grantors, Bukuru has just completed recording a full length album with the jazz/funk group Snarky Puppy.

Throughout the process Bukuru and Snarky Puppy presented a series of lecture and demonstrations throughout the community that highlight the creative process of this amazing collaboration. Bukuru presented for students at local schools, the Music Lab at Jefferson Center and in public settings such as the Roanoke City Main Library.