It was all music and Skol beer at the fourth edition of the Nyama Choma extravaganza in Kigali on Saturday as fast rising Ugandan singer Ykee Benda impressed on his first performance in Rwanda.

The ‘Munakampala’ star was not deterred by noise pollution concerns by Police, which asked organisers to lower the music before he could perform.

Previously staged at the La Palisse Hotel in Nyandungu, a slightly out-of-town location, this year’s event was held in Downtown Kigali –at the rooftop of the Champions Investment Corporation (CHIC) complex.

Event-goers had three things in mind as they set out to the venue; barbecued meat of all tribes; free-flowing drinks from Skol, the event’s main partner; and a glimpse of the Ugandan singer who is fast becoming a regional star.

By 12p.m when the event was supposed to start, the only visible presence at the venue was bright yellow Skol branding that made it seem like a beer festival. Even the barbecue corner came draped in yellow Skol tents.

Soon, it became obvious that the bar counter was far busier than the nyama choma corner as revellers took advantage of the bucket promotions. One could fairly argue that beer upstaged meat on its own do.

Going by earlier communication from organisers, many came to the event expecting a meat galore from a cross section of grill and barbecue specialty restaurants in town, but this was not to be, as Issa, a renowned Kigali barbecue chef, took centre stage at the lone barbecue table.

Royal FM’s MC Tino proved that he is still one of the best event MCs in town as he kept the crowd busy, assuming the role of a hypeman and pairing well with the day’s DJs –Freddie, Smith, Kiss, VJ Miles, and Selekta Copain.

Reggae artiste 2T and his band, Music for Peace and Development (MPD) were the first musical act on stage shortly after darkness fell. 2T made a strong case for reggae music, opening his performance with an energetic rendition of Lucky Dube’s Nobody Can Stop Reggae. To his credit, he sung live on a night where everyone else, including the night’s main act –Ykee Benda – sung to CD playback.

Fast-rising local artiste Davy Ranks also proved his worth among lovers of Dancehall music, teasing the crowd with his Jamaican-inspired lyrical and vocal style, and true to tradition, was not short of some ‘patois’ terminologies.

Shortly before 11p.m, there was a lull on stage that caused panic among festival goers who suspected the show had been brought to an abrupt halt. The presence of a policeman arguing animatedly with the DJs and MC did not help matters.

After about ten minutes, the two parties seemed to find a common ground which was to reduce the volume of the sound. Many in the crowd decried the decision by the police to bring the music to a near-halt given.

However, as the sound tremendously reduced, MC Tino duly called on the crowd to draw closer to the stage for the night’s crowning moment.

Ykee Benda took to the stage moments later, attracting the kind of cheers any artiste dreams of for a first-time performance.

He took the crowd through his popular ballads like Eva and Hold Me, and proved his vocal dexterity as he blended Dancehall, RnB and Pop influences with a soulful touch.

With lyrics that are easy to follow, the crowd was soon singing along. The sing-along reached crescendo when he launched into Munakampala, the hit for which he is best known in Kigali.

But it was Farmer, his collaboration with Ugandan female Dancehall singer Sheebah, that crowned it all. So much so that revelers asked for an encore, and he duly delivered. At around midnight, curtains fell on the event.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw