On the Indonesian island of Sumatra, 11-year-old Dikha from Indonesia’s Riau province shows outstanding enthusiasm as he dances while winning traditional boat races. His electric footwork has mesmerized the audiences far and wide. Through the world-connecting power of TikTok, he went viral after a recent competition, dubbed by users as the “aura farming boy.” From the bow of the boat, he furiously cheered on his teammates. His charisma and jubilant dance style helped earn him the moniker that further cemented his electric personality. Just as his popularity exploded, so did the number of scams taking to the internet to try to cash in on his sudden fame.
One year later After going from relative obscurity to the viral sensation, life for Dikha has been transformed. He spends time in the gym on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. His passion for boat racing has never wavered since first meeting his father at the age of eight years old. He lives for the public meet and greets and absolutely adores meeting new friends. The local government has gone so far as to award him a local scholarship to further his efforts.
The Rise to Fame
Dikha’s path to the national stage started at a local bogh race. His mesmerizing choreography enchanted crowds and social media fans alike. Standing tall at the front of the boat, he not only leads his fellow rowers but energizes the crowd with his infectious enthusiasm.
His role in these races is critical. He’s the fire starter for his teammates. His aura farming boy nickname reflects his saturation hero charm. It tracks with a dangerous new trend on social media, where confident, charismatic people with extreme, over-the-top ideas are lauded.
“No-one taught me … it was just spontaneous,” – Dikha
Dikha’s family, especially his father, along with his mother and two siblings have promoted and supported his family to the newly gained popularity. They routinely leapt at the chance to applaud and congratulate him on his success, their familial Instagram portraits highlighting their deep bond.
Navigating New Challenges
Unfortunately, along with Dikha’s increasing popularity comes the burden of having to protect it. Their manager, Dzikri Maulana broke the news on what they are working toward. They are deep in planning for a competitive national race on August 24.
“We’re not taking any overseas jobs right now because we’re focused on the national race, which is on August 24,” – Dzikri Maulana
With fame comes fame’s attendant hazards — including exploitation. Right now, reports are coming in about folks attempting to take advantage of the name Dikha built. They want up to $25,000 in campaign contributions for scheduled meetings or appearances. And indeed, Dzikri Maulana affirmed, they had reports coming in from across the world, from Malaysia, across the United States, and from Canada.
“We’ve had reports from friends in Malaysia, the US, Canada, and they said they were asked for money to meet Dikha,” – Dzikri Maulana
Later, Azhar, a local government official, counselled Dikha’s family against false promises from conmen and said relatives should be vigilant. To that end, he told them to double check any requests that involved cash or a public speaking engagement.
“We told Dikha’s family, especially his mother, that there may be people trying to profit off his name. I asked them to be careful,” – Azhar
Staying Grounded Amidst Fame
Despite the challenges that come with fame, Dikha remains grounded and focused on his training and interests outside of boat racing. In his free time, he likes to play soccer and hopes to one day meet his favorite player, Cristiano Ronaldo. Further, he writes that he wants to travel to Australia to see kangaroos.
Dikha jumps into this new stage of his life feet first. He does not take lightly these opportunities that he has been given. His manager cautions that it’s important to be on constant lookout for scams even as they enjoy the benefits of his newfound fame.
“That was the very first thing that we kind of thought sounds really suspicious,” – Dzikri Maulana
Additionally, worries over authenticity and trust have been raised as non-genuine accounts have popped up pretending to represent Dikha. Recent occurrences including misleading live stream events showcasing sham testimony have only exacerbated these concerns.
“There was a live stream … the whole premise was ‘I’m the official account of Dikha, I’m going to do a live stream during the boat race, come watch me in the boat race’ but Dikha was nowhere to be seen,” – Luke Martin
