Sherina Munaf is an Indonesian actress, singer, and song writer. At 9 years old, she successfully launched her debut album, Andai Aku Besar Nanti. In 2000, she played a key role in Petualangan Sherina (translated Sherina's Adventure), directed by Riri Riza

Riri Riza

Riri Riza is an Indonesian film director, film producer and screenwriter.-Education, early career:Riri graduated in 1993 from the Jakarta Arts Institute, where he majored in film directing. His final film project, Sonata Kampung Bata , won third place in the 1994 Oberhausen short film festival...

. She received a special award in the "Most Talented Child Artist" category in the 2001 Asia Pacific Film Festival in Hanoi for her performance. In 2001, she recorded a cover of "I Have A Dream" with Irish boy band Westlife

Westlife

Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...

 for a UNICEF fund raising.

(1999-2001) The beginnings and Sherina's "Adventure"

In the midst of every parents dream to see their children become artists, especially as singers. That frequently are seized only by the power of parent's financial support. Born in June 11, 1990, the little girl has shown an amazing talent. For this girl, existed with all the provision of a talented child singer should have. With the help of one of the best vocal teachers in Indonesia, Mr. Elfa Seciora, she managed to had high vocal ability above average kids at the same age. She's smart and she perform astonishingly on stage. Sherina broke the trend of instant child singer that appeared before, when parents could afford to bring their children to the studio and hired a producer.

In 1999, Sherina made her debut album Andai Aku Besar Nanti (translated When I Grow up). In that moment, people's enthusiasm were very huge. The first album gained Platinum Record because it was sold more than 250.000 copies. The album made her winning two Indonesian Music Awards for Best Child Song and Children Album. She enjoyed her success getting Platinum record since her winning in Jakarta karaoke contest (1997) and as the champion in a singing contest (1998).

in 2000, Sherina's father, "Triawan Munaf", collaborated with Mira Lesmana produced a film Petualangan Sherina (translated Sherina's Adventure) that was played in class one cinemas. It was a big success. The soundtrack of Sherina's Adventure also gave the youngster another hit album. According to the Ceepee Productions record company, it had gone Platinum by the end of August, with sales of more than 200,000 copies and revenues of $387,000. That makes Sherina, got Platinum Record for the first and second album.

The album Petualangan Sherina (translated Sherina's Adventure) made her won Indonesian Music Awards two times in a row, for Best Child Song and Children Album plus Best Child Singer. She did it again by winning The Most Favorite Child Artist from Bobo (magazine)

Bobo (magazine)

Bobo is a monthly Dutch magazine for children. The magazine follows the adventures of the protagonist Bobo, a nine years old blue rabbit. Every month there is a new theme. The magazine consists of stories and comics. The purpose of the magazine is learn and play. It's published by Blink Publishers....

  two times in a row (1999 through 2000). The best achievement she got was from Asia Pacific Film Festival

Asia Pacific Film Festival

The Asia Pacific Film Festival, first held in 1954, is film festival held annually in an Asian country designated by the Board of Directors of the Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia-Pacific.Awards are handed out for:*Best Film*Best Director...

 as she won Special Jury Awards as The Talented Child Actress accolade for the year 2000. Despite her talents on the big screen, Sherina still prefers to be known as 'just a singer'.

Sherina's popularity was recognized throughout Asia because of the article in Asiaweek

Asiaweek

Asiaweek, the English edition, was a news magazine focusing on Asia, published weekly by Asiaweek Limited, a subsidiary of Time Inc. Based in Hong Kong, it was established in 1975, and ceased publication with its December 7, 2001 issue due to a "downturn in the advertising market," according to...

 Magazine (Asian edition of Times, Time Asia

Time (magazine)

Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...

) describe her as Asian News Maker of the year 2000. That fame made BBC London

BBC London

BBC London is the BBC English Region producing local radio, television, teletext and online services in London and parts of the surrounding area. Its output includes the daily BBC London News and the weekly Politics Show on television, the BBC London 94.9 radio station and local coverage of the...

 interviewed her and thanks to this interview, Westlife

Westlife

Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...

, the number one Irish

Irish people

The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 boyband at the time found her as the perfect choice to duet with for their first hit "I Have a Dream" (a cover version from Swedish pop group ABBA

ABBA

ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...

) for Asian market. Gumilang Ramadhan (General Manager of Sony BMG Indonesia) said, "If everything goes well, the album will be released in August. After a three-month review, part of the profit from the sales will be given to Indonesian children through an international charity foundation."

in 2001, Sherina had an interview with Hongkong's TV Network, Star TV

STAR TV (Asia)

Satellite Television Asian Region is an Asian TV service owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.In 2009, News Corporation restructured STAR Asia into four units – STAR India, STAR Greater China, STAR Select and Fox International Channels....

 in their program "Focus Asia", mentioning her as Princess of Pop by Adrian Brown

Adrian Brown (journalist)

Adrian Brown is a reporter for Seven News in Sydney.He recently returned to Sydney after almost 16 years running a reporting and camera company based in Hong Kong. During that time, he also filed stories for National Nine News...

. Starring in numerous TV ads, she was also sent by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature)

World Wide Fund for Nature

The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...

 to Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 for Orangutan campaign: Borneo Orangutan Survival

Borneo Orangutan Survival

The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation is an Indonesian non-profit NGO founded by Dr Willie Smits in 1991 and dedicated to the conservation of the endangered Bornean Orangutan and its habitat through the involvement of local people...

. Thus, making Sherina nominated as The Most Preferred Kid Actress and TV Talent based on National Kid Market Survey by Frontier Marketing and Research Consultant. In the end of 2001, Sherina has been called The Most Shining Star Child by RCTI

RCTI

RCTI is Indonesia's first privately owned television network and is based in West Jakarta. RCTI broadcasts Indonesian Idol as well as sinetron , films, news and current affairs, reality shows and religious programs...

.

Acting skill and fame

Before musical stardom came her way, Sherina's nascent acting skills had already attracted the attention of the Miles Production film company, which thought she would fit nicely into a musical they were planning called Vera and Elmo's Adventure which directed by Riri Riza. Producer Mira Lesmana recalls what she had in mind: "we set out to make a film for Indonesian families. They don't want serious, heavy stuff. The important thing was to produced something that was entertaining and would make families feel good about the Indonesian cinema again." The shooting began in November 1999, with Sherina as the young lead.

As the storyline was being finalized, Andai Aku Besar Nanti was hit the stores, catapulting Sherina from a talented wannabe to an established name. She was now bigger than the movie and that makes Vera and Elmo's Adventure was retitled Sherina's Adventure. Directed by Riri Riza, it tells the story of a musically gifted girl very much like Sherina who moves with her family from Jakarta

Jakarta

Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...

to Bandung. When a classmate is kidnapped in a business dispute, our pint-sized heroine sets out to free him. The simplicity of the story and the old-fashioned family entertainment it delivers have struck a chord in a country direly in need of light relief.

Released in June 2000, Sherina's Adventure sold 1.4 million tickets in six months and also has been seen by over a million people and has earned an estimated $723,000 - a fortune by the standards of the Indonesian cinema. The people at Miles Production are delighted with the way things have turned out for them. They spent $241,000 on Sherina's Adventure.

Discography

• Andai Aku Besar Nanti (1999)
• Petualangan Sherina (2000)
• My Life (2004)
• Primadona (2007)
• Gemini (2009)

Single

• Andai Aku Tlah Dewasa (1999)
• Jagoan (2000)
• Lihatlah Lebih Dekat (2000)
• Kertarajasa (2000) Performed by Butet Kertaradjasa
• I Have A Dream (2001) Performed with Westlife
• My Life (2005)
• Sendiri (2007)
• Ku Disini/Here To Stay (2007)
• Jalan Cinta (2008)
• Ku Bahagia (2008)
• Cinta Pertama dan Terakhir (2009)
• Ku Mau Engkau Mau (2009)
• Simfoni Hitam (2009)
• Geregetan (2010)
• Pergilah Kau (2010)