SAMA excitement grows as tickets go on sale

Tickets are now on sale for the South African music calendar’s most illustrious event, which toasts the very best in local music across a range of categories, including the Kia Record of the Year, voted for by the public. The organisers of the awards, the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA), are confident that this will be the slickest, glitziest, most sensational celebration of local sounds to date as it comes of age in its 21st year.

Fans will be treated to electrifying live performances and out-of-the-box collaborations by a cross-section of this year’s nominees, and will be able to experience first-hand the nerves, excitement and euphoria that characterises this annual industry event. Sun City is definitely the place to be on 19 April 2015, where the beautiful and talented people of Mzansi will be congregating to raise a glass to quality South African music. Music lovers can expect explosive live performances from the likes of Mafikizolo, DJ Kent, Danny K, Heavy K, iFani, Uhuru. Gangs of Ballet and Naima Kay. Viewers can also expect to see rapper Cassper Nyovest (five nominations), veteran rockers Prime Circle (four nominations) and Cape Town’s favourite pop princes Beatenberg (six nominations) on stage. Another highlights of the evening will be hip-hop maestros AKA (with four nominations in the bag) and Duncan (with three nominations) performing a dynamite live collaboration featuring one of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, Mdu Masilela. Adding even more meat to the entertainment menu will be stellar performances by the likes of Qadasi, L’vovo, Black Motion and Xoli M – truly adding up to a night to remember.

And the celebrities presenting awards are likely to generate almost as much buzz as the performers: the likes of Vusi Nova, Lulo Café, Khan Morbee, Jabu Hlongwane, Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Selaelo Selota will be stepping up to the mic to introduce the various categories and nominees.

Social media has been abuzz over the past few days following the announcement that Hip Hop Pantsula (aka Jabulani Tsambo, aka Jabba) will be taking to the stage as the official host of the SAMAs. The internationally acclaimed Motswako rapper will be keeping the Superbowl audience and television viewers entertained between performances and awards presentations at the glittery ceremony. What makes the occasion particularly special is that the Mafikeng-born musician will be doing so in his home province, the North West. The awards have been without a host for two years (previous hosts include Trevor Noah, who recently landed a plum gig hosting The Daily Show in the USA), but HHP is no stranger to charming television viewers, having won the third season of the reality dance show Strictly Come Dancing. It’s fitting that someone who has made such a rich contribution to the South African music scene (not to mention outside our borders, having snagged a coveted MTV Africa Music Award for Best Video in 2009) has been chosen to host South Africa’s most prestigious music awards event.

Booking has opened at Computicket. Gallery seats at the Superbowl are available at R375 each, with golden circle tickets costing just R130 to get up close and personal with all the awards action. You can also rub shoulders with the stars at the official Amstel after-party – R495 gets you in, also available at Computicket. And if you only want to attend the glitzy after-party without going to the awards, that’s also fine!

Book your ticket today - but if you really can’t be there, make a date with your TV set and couch for 20h00, when SABC1 will screen the XXI South African Music Awards live. The event will also be live-streamed via the mobisite (www.samatv.mobi), where you’ll also be privy to all the red-carpet glamour (from 16h00) and backstage interviews with the stars. You’ll also find bonus material and exclusive behind-the-scenes insights on the mobisite. For more information, visit the SAMA website.