Joshua: A gifted entertainer and very wealthy

Joshua: A gifted entertainer and very wealthy

By Endi Aras

JAKARTA (JP): By the age of two, Joshua Suherman hummed a new
song everyday, a year later he had his first album. Now, the
seven-year-old star is one of Indonesia's most gifted
entertainers and...a billionaire.

Joshua, affectionately called Jo Jo, seems to be everywhere.
He can be seen in television commercials, printed media, talk
shows, quiz shows, sinetron (television drama), local comedy
programs, even political campaigns.

Joshua's acting talents and sense of humor are adorable. His
popular jargon Di Obok-Obok (all stirred up) taken from his hit
album Air (Water) is used widely, from people on the streets to
the nation's political elite.

For a boy of his age, his annual income (approximately Rp 2
billion equivalent to around US$286,000) from recording sales and
commercial contracts can buy him heaps of toys. This amount
excludes payment for regular performances which amount to at
least Rp 9 million per show.

This seven-year old boy has become the country's most popular
pop culture icon.

There was no special sign for his parents, Jeddy and Lisa
Suherman, when their first son was born in Surabaya (East Java)
in November l992.

But Joshua was really a gift from God for this couple who had
been patiently waiting for seven years to have their first baby.

"We were very happy at that time. We used to bring Joshua and
show him off to our friends and families," recalled the proud
father, Jeddy.

His parents were quick to recognize Joshua's singing talents.
"He would follow every music beat he heard and dance happily
along," said Jeddy.

Jeddy, a former hairdresser, tried to write a song for him but
the little Jo Jo refused to sing it.

Jeddy and his wife did not give up. They looked for good song
composers to write children's songs for Joshua.

In l996, Joshua, met Sunarwan who wrote him a song Cit Cit
Cuit , which was also the title of his debut album. To produce
and to promote the album, Jeddy reportedly spent Rp 100 million
and the album sold quite well in the market.

A year later, Joshua signed a contract with Selecta Record to
produce two of his best-selling albums Kapal Terbang, airplane,
and Air, water, or more famous as Di Obok-Obok,. The later was
sold 1 million copies, a remarkable sale for a local album. An
adult artist is considered successful if he or she can sell
200,000 copies. So far, Jo Jo has completed 14 albums including
one gospel and one of traditional Javanese songs.

The song Air, written by Papa T. Bob, was inspired by Joshua.
At that time, the music studio's air condition pipe was leaking.
The floor was wet. "Tak obok...obok ya (I'm going to stir the
water)," yelled Jo Jo in his strong East Javanese dialect.

Stardom

It was Air which shot Joshua to stardom. Everybody is now
chasing Joshua, from TV producers, film directors to business
people who view him as a "hot commodity."

In the meantime, Joshua appears in episode-104 of sinetron
Joshua Anak Ajaib (Joshua the Wonder Kid). He also hosts Kuiz
Joshua at Indosiar. Joshua also stars in more than 10 commercials
including Sakatonik ABC, Epson Stylus printer, Nutrisari and
Loggo shoes.

An executive of PT Nutrifood, as quoted by Gatra magazine,
said Joshua's image is very strong. "Our sales increased about 20
percent after Joshua stared in our commercial," he said.

Every where he goes, Joshua is surrounded by thousands of his
fans. Mothers and pregnant women hope they can have children like
Joshua.

Spending a day with Joshua is indeed pleasing and of
course....exhausting even for an adult.

Last Wednesday (Feb.16), Joshua started early in the morning
at the Studio Satria Kinayungan to shoot for a television
program. At 12 O'clock, he had an appointment for a photo session
for a commercial.

Joshua had another show that night. He was guest star at
Ketoprak Humor, traditional Javanese comedy, Joshua Sultan Cilik
yang Cerdik (Joshua, the young and smart Sultan) at Gedung
Kesenian Jakarta, which started at 8 p.m., a time for bed and
story-telling for most children his age.

Rarely complaining, Joshua seems to enjoy his hectic days.
"Lumayan... om capeknya (not bad.. uncle) It is quite tiring, but
I enjoy it," the little-star grinned.

Senior children's song writer A.T. Mahmud admired Joshua for
his natural talents.

"He is very cute, communicative and funny. He is a gifted
entertainer although his vocal technique is yet to be trained,"
said A.T. Mahmud.

Helmi Yahya, Joshua's manager, thinks Joshua is brainy. "We
only need to guide him and explain the script then he just
follows his heart," said Helmi.

No wonder, Joshua becomes the darling of TV advertisers and
film producers. He has a long list of shows and a bundle of
business contracts. His Saturdays and Mondays through the year
2000 will be spent on stage.

His parents along with his manager Helmi Yahya are clever
enough to "sell" Joshua's fame. They established PT Joshua
Merchandise which produces memorabilia and accessories bearing
Joshua's name, from T-shirts, school bags, hats and books, to
comics.

The company reaps millions of rupiah from sales of Joshua's
merchandise on every show.

To deal with Joshua's fans, they also set up a special website
at Obok.obok.com.

His father, Jeddy, however, strongly rejected the idea that
they make Joshua their "gold mine."

Jeddy admitted that, in order to closely monitor his son's
activities, he and his wife decided to give up their business.
Formerly, they ran a beauty and hair salon.

"Now, Joshua is our breadwinner," he reluctantly conceded.

However, he said, we never force Joshua to grab all jobs
offered to him. "We have been very selective despite an abundance
of orders for commercials and performances," he said.

"We are trying hard to provide a normal life for Joshua. He
plays with his brother and children in our housing complex," the
mother added.

In many ways, the parents said, their son is a typical seven-
year-old who enjoys playing with toys, skateboard, soccer and
video games.

After rehearsals or shooting breaks, Joshua often works on his
school lessons at the site or plays soccer with anak-anak
kampung, rural kids.

When there is no shooting or shows, Joshua retreats at his
cozy home at Taman Laguna, Cibubur, East Jakarta, which his
parents bought from the sales of Joshua's debut album.

"He was frequently absent from school for several days a month
because of his tight schedules but his teachers were
understanding," admitted Jeddy. Joshua is a first grader at Bunda
Hati Kudus elementary school near his house.

A tutor is ready to give him extra lessons. Joshua also
attends courses on math, vocal lessons and music to sharpen his
academic and music skills.

"Our car is maintained as Joshua's second 'home' where he can
rest quietly or study," Jeddy said.

It seems Joshua may need a little bit more time for himself
before his energy runs out.