RAY’S KIM EDM

October 2025

Freedom fighters portraits

WHO IS RAY’S KIM EDM?

Artist and citizen, voice of a youth standing up for democracy

RAY’S KIM EDM, IN CONTEXT

Ray’s Kim EDM, whose real name was Djasrabé Kimassoum Yilmian, was born on 25 June 1989 in N’Djamena in Chad, and grew up in several cities before settling back in the capital.

An artist involved with the Les Transformateurs movement, founded by Succès Masra, he passed away on 7 October 2025 at the age of 36.

FROM MIC TO “BUNDA” SIGNATURE

Before taking on this public role, he began writing and performing at a very early age, eventually becoming a finalist at the Gabao Hip-Hop Festival in 2009.

After meeting Chadian musician Célestin Mawndoé in 2012, he developed a distinctly Chadian sound and began writing in Bua, a language spoken in south-central Chad. With his album“Bunda Phénomène”, he established his signature sound, “bunda”, rooted in local realities.

…TOWARD A POLITICAL VOICE

As his fame grew, he put his voice to work for a civic project: he joined Les Transformateurs, became the movement’s spokesperson and participated in the transition by sitting on the National Transitional Council (CNT) for several months in 2024, using the stage and the media to defend the rule of law.

After the announcement of his death, Succès Masra paid tribute to him, hailing him as a “brother in arms” and a tireless spokesperson for the people.

ART AS CIVIC POWER

His songs transform music into a platform: in “Rends le pouvoir” (Give back the power), in his freestyles and on his channel, he denounced injustice and corruption, called for dignity and civic responsibility, and mobilised urban youth in particular.

This consistency between his “bunda” aesthetic and his civic message made him a symbol of free expression and democratic vigilance.

“No, neither attempts to demobilise individuals from our ranks nor the buying of consciences will be able to stop the march of a people standing tall towards their destiny.”

Ray’s Kim EDM