FAKA’s Desire Marea on creative explorations, performing
for Donatella Versace and staying true to oneself
South African contemporary performance artist, Desire Marea, is an
unapologetic force of nature. As one half of the pioneering cultural
movement known as FAKA – a cultural movement he started along with
his friend Thato [AKA Fela Gucci] – Marea has not only taken the local
music and art scene by storm, but has also gained international fame,
having recently travelled abroad to grace European audiences with his
incredible talent and presence.
Marea graduated in 2014 with an IIE Bachelor of Arts in Creative Brand
Communications from The IIE’s Vega School, and has flourished in
the creative space since. In 2015, Marea featured on 10 and 5’s list of
Breakthrough Artists in South Africa and won the Nestlings Award for
Young African Performer of the Year, celebrated for his contributions to
creating FAKA’s ‘ancestral gqom gospel sounds’.
Marea’s impressive list of achievements continued in 2018, with Marea
and Fela Gucci performing at music festivals in Berlin, Vienna and
London earlier in the year and for, most notably, FAKA’s hit song,
‘Uyang’khumbula’, which was chosen by Donatella Versace as the
soundtrack for her Milan fashion show this June.
Following his rise to success in a challenging and often all-too-critical
industry, Marea shares more on the FAKA story, and advice for young
creatives hoping to follow in his footsteps.
How did FAKA come about?
We started FAKA in 2013 during my second year at Vega, but we were
in different cities at the time. We were able to explore the project more
effectively when I had the opportunity to move to Johannesburg after
my final year. I wanted to be an author. I still do. But I was healed by
music and I felt like I had been performing my entire life.
Over the years, both myself and Fela Gucci went through experiences
that gave us the clarity we needed in order to be more specific about
the mediums we chose and we saw the potential to perform new
realities into existence – for ourselves and others.
How challenging was it to pursue your dream while studying?
It definitely wasn’t a walk in the park. It required a lot of internal labour
and access to resources to be able to make an impact successfully.
But I would say the IIE curriculum at Vega was designed in ways that
allowed me to interpret theories according to my own unique life
experience. That liberated me because education then transformed into
something that would help me make sense of my world, in a way that
empowered me to change it. The highlight for me was having educators
who encouraged us to integrate our identities into our work. That was
important to me. My experience at Vega was special and complex.
Special in a sense that I grew into the leader I always wanted to become,
built valuable relationships, and learnt the craft that has helped sustain
my ideas.
Tell us about the performances in Europe and the experience of
performing abroad?
Performing abroad puts a lot of things into perspective. We had the
opportunity to play on some of the most prestigious platforms. We
shared stages with artists I used to stick in my Creative Development
process book. But above all, we felt like we were there to heal and
educate, and we saw the potential for Africa to lead the discourse of
queer liberation on a global scale. That was affirming.
What is your advice for young creatives hoping to pursue a similar
path to yours?
Stay true to yourself. Practice discernment. Don’t be afraid to use your
voice to sing praises to yourself. Know your value because the industry
takes advantage of those who don’t. And always remember why.