UK-based KwaZulu-Natal singer Toya Delazy alleges a radio blacklist has hindered her collaborations, blaming Gagasi FM for rejecting her first gqom collaboration—a claim the station denies.
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Toya Delazy, the granddaughter of the late Mangosuthu Buthelezi, has accused KwaZulu-Natal regional commercial station Gagasi FM of excluding her music from its playlist.
The 33-year-old UK-based artist, whose real name is Nontokozo Buthelezi, made the allegation while explaining why she ultimately decided to relocate to the United Kingdom.
The Pump It On hitmaker said her suspicions were heightened after a gqom track she recorded with Mfumfana Kagogo was allegedly rejected by the station.
"I recorded my first gqom' track with Mfumfana Kagogo and a presenter asked Mfu to submit music for a gqom' segment on Gagasi FM. Mfu thought our song was perfect. It fits the genre. So it was submitted.
"A week later once it was clear that I was featured on the record — the compilers said that the song was declined. The reason given: 'doesn’t fit radio format.' This is what I mean when I speak about silent exclusion. Nothing public. No announcement. Just closed doors.
"And it doesn’t just affect me. It affects collaborators. It creates fear. Artists start wondering if working with me will cost them airplay or income. We invested in the music video. We’ve sent it to platforms. But the silence continues. I’m not sharing this to attack anyone. I’m documenting a pattern I’ve experienced for over a decade," wrote Delazy on X.
She also attached a 30-second snippet of the music video and what she said was an email from Gagasi FM’s music committee addressed to Mfumfana Kagogo.
However, Gagasi FM spokesperson Khulekani Shandu rejected the allegation that the station excludes specific artists.
"All the songs submitted to Gagasi FM go through the music committee. This is a process that all submitted songs undergo, it is not done to a particular song or musician," said Shandu.
He added that the music committee process exists to ensure fairness and to prevent bias in selecting songs for the station’s playlist.
The Mahlabathini-born musicia has claimed that her alleged "blacklisting" by South African television and radio stations has continued for 13 years and played a role in her decision to build her career abroad.
She said the situation began after she left a recording company she had been signed to and chose to pursue an independent path.
According to the singer, the alleged exclusion has also affected potential collaborations.
She claimed that some artists have become reluctant to work with her because they fear their music could be denied radio airplay.