“Ooh, it’s somethin’ about, just somethin’ about the way she move…”
The opening lines of Ne-Yo’s Miss Independent were enough to send a section of the crowd at Mestil Hotel into an immediate singalong on Sunday. It was not just the song they remembered, but the feeling attached to it.
For a generation that grew up when RnB, hip-hop and slow jams dominated the airwaves, songs like Miss Independent are something of a time machine. And lately, Kampala appears to be enjoying the trip back.
From the Millennials Picnic to the Old School Picnic in recent weekends, and now RnB and Friends at Mestil, old-school music experiences have continued to attract crowds looking for more than a night out. They are looking for familiar songs, familiar feelings and, perhaps, a temporary escape from the music of today.
That desire for nostalgia is what these gatherings have in common. The crowds may not be identical, but the attraction is remarkably similar: people who want to sing along to songs they know from beginning to end, reconnect with friends and revisit a period of their lives through music.
At Mestil, that connection was evident from the start, with the crowd needing little encouragement to join in. As the DJs moved through the catalogue, voices rose with almost every chorus, with revelers singing word for word. Even some of the younger faces appeared well acquainted with songs released long before they became old-school.
DJs Anselm and Selector Jay moved between classic RnB, old-school hip-hop and Ugandan throwbacks, occasionally stepping outside the expected RnB menu to drop a familiar favourite. Each detour brought another reaction from the crowd, proving that the nostalgia was not tied to one genre.
With the music providing the soundtrack, food and drinks naturally became part of the experience too.
That is where Tusker Cider found its place in the afternoon. The cider was enjoyed in the relaxed manner that has become synonymous with social occasions, often served with ice and paired with food as friends settled into conversations between songs.
For Tusker Cider Brand Manager Sandra Againe, that easy-going atmosphere is exactly what makes an event like RnB and Friends relevant to the brand.
“There is something very natural about enjoying old-school music with friends. These are songs people already have a relationship with, so the atmosphere is relaxed and familiar. You can have your food, enjoy a cold Tusker Cider and still be part of the music and conversation around you. That is what makes experiences like this relevant to us,” she said.
MC Derrick Dasha also called on the audience to observe a minute of silence and pray for the soul of Rukirabasaija Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, the late King of Tooro, who died on August 27 at the age of 34.
Members of the Tooro community joined in prayer, while Tooro royal songs were played in his honour, bringing a moment of remembrance to the gathering before the music resumed.
From there, the afternoon gradually shifted from a laid-back Sunday gathering into a full-blown throwback party.
The food on offer helped sustain that transition, giving people another reason to settle in rather than simply pass through the venue. An additional 20 per cent discount on purchases made through MTN MoMo inside the venue also made it easier for guests to pick up something to eat and continue enjoying the afternoon.
For Joanita Grey, a regular at old-school music experiences, that familiarity is exactly what keeps drawing her back.
“I come for the music and the vibes, but I also enjoy meeting people. Even when I come with my friends, I can still end up talking to someone I have never met before. There is something fulfilling about making new friends over good music and food,” she said.
And perhaps that is the real appeal of Kampala’s old-school revival. Beyond the music, these gatherings offer people a chance to travel back in time without leaving the city to remember songs, moments and versions of themselves that might otherwise remain buried in the past.