If you are starting to feel like R’n’B events are a dime a dozen, you might be right but no one’s complaining because they are bringing something special to the entertainment culture; and in what feels like a sea of the them, the prototype is definitely Strictly Soul.
Marking its one-year anniversary in Kampala, Africa’s biggest RnB event returned to Mestil Gardens with over 1500 people belting out new and old soul music and this time with 2 new partners, Johnnie Walker Blonde, which was making its debut to the market and Coca-cola, because what’s whisky without a perfect mixer.
As is tradition, the night started out laid back and easy with DJ Akio playing a more mellow set as gorgeous ladies and sharp looking men walked in, got their drinks and caught up with friends.
That slower start was necessary too because even with a bigger venue, the traffic getting into Mestil was backed up all the way up to the main road for hours.
It did feel like half of Kampala was either inside or trying to get in. At the door, and eventually all the around the tent, you quickly got a sense of what makes Strictly Soul special and where the night gets its unrelenting, pulsating energy; the Gen Z crowd.
Millennials turned up in droves too and we definitely saw a couple of Gen Xers who blended in perfectly.
By 10:30, the dance floor starting to fill up and DJ Jerry took the crowd on journey; from the right vantage point, you could see.
From Usher, to Muni Long, the bangers kept coming and there was no shortage of people who knew every word. It was a singular delight to see over a 1000 people sing to Lillian Mbabazi’s Dagala in unison, because yes, we have local RnB too.
If you follow Strictly Soul’s Instagram and Tik Tok pages, you’ve seen the synchronized choreography to Beyonce’s Cuff It but seeing it in person is unmatched.
Strictly Soul has always felt like a Girl’s party and rightfully so but it’s always a special treat to see the gentlemen step to the front of the sing -along line and this time they sure did; yes, that one guy with the white shirt, in the words of Queen B, did go all night.
By 12:00 am, all that singing should have had the crowd spent but, but this lot grabbed their cocktails and their Rwenzori bottles and just got louder for DJ Akio’s closing set of the night; we congratulated each other on Uganda’s 63rd Independence and proceeded to rock out a little after 1:30am closing out the night with a big Whitney Houston number.
Strictly Soul returns in December.