By Chol D. Johnson
Veteran South Sudanese singer and “Icon of Peace,” Viviana Nyachan, has died at the age of 61 in Juba after being admitted to Gurei Medical Centre.
Speaking on Wednesday to No.1 Citizen Newspaper, a relative of the late singer, Rhoda Peter, confirmed that Nyachan passed away on Tuesday evening, April 14, while receiving treatment at the facility.
“Viviana Nyachan passed away while admitted to Gurei Medical Centre on Tuesday evening after receiving treatment earlier in the morning,” Rhoda said.
According to the family, Nyachan had been living with diabetes for a long time. After falling ill on Tuesday, she was taken to the hospital, where she later died the same day.
“Viviana had diabetes for a long time. When she fell sick on Tuesday, we took her to the hospital, where she passed away,” Rhoda explained.
Family members said the late singer is survived by her siblings and children. She had four children—three daughters and one son—although her eldest daughter passed away earlier.
Nyachan previously worked with the National Ministry of Culture, Museum and National Heritage, contributing to the promotion of arts and culture in South Sudan.
Born in 1965 in Malakal, she hailed from the Shilluk (Chollo) community.
Viviana Nyachan was a pioneer in South Sudan’s music industry, rising to prominence in the early 1990s. She became one of the first solo female artists from South Sudan to release and distribute music internationally around the year 2000.
Her music was deeply rooted in Chollo culture but transcended ethnic boundaries by incorporating multiple local languages. Through her songs, she consistently promoted themes of peace, unity, and national identity, earning her recognition as an “Icon of Peace.”