Khuli Chana Reacts To 2023 SAMAs Cancellation

Khuli Chana Reacts To 2023 SAMAs Cancellation. The South African Music Awards (SAMAs) have long been a platform for celebrating the nation’s diverse and thriving music industry. However, this week, the music community was disappointed as the 2023 SAMAs were cancelled.

The cancellation of the award ceremony left artists and fans in shock and awe. Among those expressing their reaction is prominent South African rapper, Khuli Chana. The 2023 SAMAs, which were initially scheduled to take place on November  17 and 18 at Durban ICC promised to be a grand event celebrating the best in South African music.

However, a recent statement from the KZN MEC Siboniso Duma cited cost-cutting measures leading the province to pull out from hosting the annual music event. “Our budget is always one of the trade-offs, to finance one priority which means another must be put aside and that is a sad reality. Over the past few years, KZN lost over R14bn due to cost-cutting which was introduced by the national government,” said MEC Duma.

Khuli Chana, known for his influential contributions to the South African hip-hop scene, took to social media to express his sentiment on the cancellation. He expressed his disappointment in a post on Twitter (X) stating that the cancellation was heartbreaking. “The Samas cancellation is actually heartbreaking,”💔 a distraught Khuli Chana said.

The cancellation of the event has left many musicians and industry professionals in a state of disappointment. For many, the SAMAs29 represents not only a chance to celebrate their hard work and dedication but also a valuable opportunity to connect with fans, fellow artists, and industry insiders.

Despite the last-minute cancellation by the KZN to host the SAMAs, the awards organizers are devising an alternative strategy to ensure that the event proceeds as scheduled this year.

“SA Music Awards (Sama) learnt with disappointment this morning of the 11th-hour decision by EDTEA in KwaZulu-Natal to withdraw from SAMA29. We have a three-year contract with EDTEA and will be consulting with our contractual partners, to find out what led to this decision and carve a way forward. As such, we will advise in due course what the next steps for SAMA29 will be,” said RiSA CEO Nhlanhla Sibisi.