I am Fana Sooka. I was born in the year 1994 on the 28th of July, and I am the fourth son of seven of Monicca Annah Sooka’s children. I started school in 2002 at Regae Primary School and completed my primary education in 2010. I then went to, Majatladi Secondary School. I was an extrovert and I was mostly interested in entertainment. I always felt vibrant over the performing lessons, which is now known as Arts & Culture.

I performed stage dramas and comedy at both my primary and secondary schools. I was seen as the master of entertainment because I was given the platform to organize entertainment during any school events. Despite the hardships I faced in secondary school, art has always been the part of me that I’m incomplete without.

My life was complicated before I got into the arts. I was a problem child in my community, always did bad things. But then I came to my senses and realised that what I was doing was no good, that I had to find redefinition for myself and my purpose on earth. I then started by trying to play soccer, I thought it would help me spend a lot of time off the streets and thinking of doing the unnecessary things that led me to being hunted by the police.

As time propelled, I realised that soccer was not my thing. I just didn’t feel alive in the field. Then I joined a musical group, there too I didn’t find that special feeling from singing… What else? I thought to myself. I then joined the dancing squad with my homeboys. We danced at events, it was fun, but then I got bored along the way.

I quit dancing because I didn’t really enjoy dancing. I ran out of options but I have always had the belief in me which always told me that I belong in the arts industry. I then started focusing on stage dramas and I found life in it. Even if it was challenging to deliver, I always enjoyed the challenges and working with people to spread the message about what’s happening in our everyday lives through dramas and comedies.

I was inspired by Ali Mokoena, better known as “Mpephe” and other actors such as Africa Tsoai and Lydia Mokgokoloshi. I started scouting various performing drama groups in the neighbouring villages, where we performed at local events and participated in various municipality competitions. Currently I’m operating with my group Lentsu La Naga in my village of Tsantsabela where I work with Musa Gift Masombuka, an award winning poet who is assisting me with script writing and marketing my scripts also distributing our performances to YouTube and other social media platforms.

Working with Musa, we have managed to write a script for one of my stage dramas and we turned it into a film. From there we pitched the script to Prof Jimmy Moshidi, an award winning novelist and owner of Kokoto Productions a production company. He considered our script to be ready for filming, therefore he will be sponsoring me by filming my script via his production company. Right now I’m proud to say that art is life.