Young, talented, bright, hard working, pretty, gentle, well-educated - not to mention her ability to rock and roll, Aok Sokun Kagna (Kanha) is all that! Then, you may wonder why this little girl is so right on track with what she is doing at a very young age and what made what she is today. In short, it is her determination and hard working. Of course she was born in a family deep-rooted in music but she is the one who made what she is today herself. Aok Sokun Kanha started her career exploration in entertaining people since she was about 10 years old. While some girls still play dirt in Cambodia at her age, Aok SokunKanha would go with her father who was a musician and sang along. She took any opportunity she could to show off her God-given talent on stage and not let go the microphone until she is now a professional singer.

Aok SokunKanha was born on September 14, 1986 (1987 based on other sources) in Phnom Penh. She is the eldest child in the family among another sister. Her mother – En Sokun is now divorced still lives with her and her sister in Phnom Penh. According to some news sources, her father now lives in Australia. Ouk Sokun Kagna is a Fine Art University graduate. Her major is Khmer Traditional Dance. Part of the introduction for the interview with Yuk Chinda for CTN Channel 21, Aok SokunKanha performed a beautiful solo Robam Chuen Por (Blessing Dance). Aok SokunKanha now lives with her mother in Phnom Penh, managing her beauty salon with her mother when she is free.

When it comes to her career path, it is very interesting to know that Aok SokunKanha always likes music since she was young. Initially, her father didn’t know that SokunKanha had the talent and he was surprised when he heard her singing behind the wall when he was teaching his students to sing. Then, he always took her with him when he and his music band performed. SokunKanha’s father also wrote Rock music and songs. So he wrote songs for her to sing. One day when the singer of the band was absent, Aok SokunKanha ruled the stage! In the documentary video clip, Aok SokunKanha was just a little girl - 10 years old but she rocked the stage like a star. Her mother also liked to sing. SokunKanha and her mother always went to Ear Vathana’s house to sing Koraoke. Knowing there was a great potential for marketing opportunity, Ear Vathana who was later the producer of Reaksmey Stung Songke (RSK) production decided to create CD albums for her together with Kum Buna Deth, Yourk Thit Ratha, Sem Sang Vath and Bou Vichet in 1998. The name of the production at the time was EV Production – short for Ear Vathana – the producer’s name.

Aok SokunKanha worked for EV Production while studying Khmer Traditional Dance at Pumen Fine Art University. SokunKanha participated in a signing contest sponsored by TVK with Yourk Thit Ratha. She did not receive any award from the contest. She said she was only 12 at the time and the age requirement was 15 and above. Later, Aok Sokun Kanha participated in another singing contest called Pon Lok Dara (Emerging Stars) sponsored by TV5. Again, she did not get any award either. She said it was because she sang a Rock song written by her father while the Program required a slow song. After a few years, EV Production was disbanded. After she finished High School, she then sang for U2 Club at night and worked for Reaskmey Stung Songke (RSK) Production and going to school during day time. Aok SokunKanha was more and more recognized for her style and unique voice by both young and middle-age generations.

A significant increase in her popularity occurred after she sang a song for a CTN movie called Snam Sne Samoth Rream (The Love of Ream Ocean). The movie was aired in the Country and overseas. Sokun Kanha came to United States with Preap Sovath and You Disco early 2007. It was a great success for her in the US. More people began to know her. I personally saw her performing in Milpitas, California. I was very impressed seeing a little girl like her rocking the stage – jumping up and down with her hair flying all over the place, captivating her audience with style. Young people had a great time and I was one of them (I am not young though). She is now said to be working for Sunday Production after she left U2. According to the news article released by Everyday on 06/23/2007, Aok SokunKanha has joined Sunday Production and works with Rithy Dona who used to be her song writers when she was with U2. She is also now working for Rock Center as well. Her singing style has changed gradually from slow song to slow Rock and now some of her songs are Hard Rock.

As you expected, Aok SokunKanha’s success story does not tell the whole story about her life. She does have up and down times just like we all do. Though it seems wonderful to have a life like her – making money doing what you like and be famous, Aok Sokun Kanha mentioned in the interview that her freedom was held hostage by being not able to go any where she likes as a young girl. Being a celebrity or public icon like her, you are watched every step you move and have to live up to public’s views and opinions. She said in her own word that she has no happiness – “Kmean Sach Key Sok” (in Khmer). Living in a conservative society, a young girl like her can’t get away from tabloids and rumors about this and that, especially for a rising Khmer female Rock star. Her mother was almost in tears when she said about how difficult it was to deal with what people said about her daughter. Perhaps the most difficult time for her was when her father went away to live in Australia, leaving her mother, her sister and her in Cambodia. Recently, her departure from U2 at the same time with Rithy Dona and the Power band did had caused a rumor about her loving relationship with Rithy Dona. A more recent rumor was about the reason she left U2 because she couldn’t complete with Meas Sok Sophea who is also a U2’s rising Rock star.

In spite of these rumors and issues, Aok Sokun Kanha seems to handle and manage her life every well. She said when she sees her fans entertained with a smile on their face, she would forget all about her hardships and sorrows and want to do more to entertain her fans. Aok SokunKanha cleared up the rumor about loving relationship with Rithy Dona that she had no loving relationship with him – it was just a friendship between her and Rithy Dona. In an article released by Everyday on 11/23/2004, Aok SokunKanha had also cleared up the rumor about her plan to live in Australia because someone had proposed to her. She said though it was her father’s choice to live there, it was not her plan. She did not want to live overseas. She said someone did propose to her but she denied as she did not want to live overseas. She talked a lot about how good it was to live in Cambodia though her father and one of her aunts live in Australia. Her life in Cambodia with her mother is very fruitful and peaceful. Her beauty salon in Psay Dey Hoy in Phnom Doun Penh District seems to be doing very well and she is now planning to open a health club soon.

Talking about her marriage, Aok Sokun Kanha said she would wait for a few more years and she wouldn’t mind as to what her Mr. Right is as long as her parents are happy. However, she already rejected someone once before because he lived in Australia. So for those who live overseas and want to take a chance when the window of opportunity is open, you may want to be prepared to answer the touch question if you want to go back and live with her in Cambodia. However, she may change her mind then if you are the man who can make her heart jumping up and down like her Hard Rock performance on stage. On the serious note, Angkorthom.US has a lot of respects and admirations for Aok Sokun Kanha. She is an ideal Khmer girl who works every hard since she was young. She is a type of girl who knows exactly what she wants to do in life and she was able to make her dream come true for herself. She has great respects for her parents. Aok SokunKanha has the least negative rumors so far among other Khmer female Rock stars in Khmer communities throughout the world. Angkorthom.US is more than happy to add her profile to our website. In conclusion, we would like to wish her the best of luck for her future.