With the first episode shown on 1st February 2010, Tinga Tinga Tales is a CBeebies TV series that looks set to inspire a terrific range of toys. Made by Tiger Aspect Productions, this 52-part series is based on classic African folk tales and tells the story of how many favourite animals came to be. Topics covered include all-important questions such as why do flamingos stand on one leg and why do elephants have such long trunks?!
Featuring the infectious music of Kenyan songwriter Eric Wainaina, the show is insipired by the beautiful artwork of Eduardo Saidi Tingatinga - a man who was born in Namochelia, South Tanzania. Many artists have continued the tradition of Tingatinga painting, often adding their own decorative imaginings beyond the 'big five' (tourist-friendly) animals typically seen in the traditional Tingatinga works that are made with bicycle-paint: elephant, lion, giraffe, hippopotamus and antelope.
The series is made in Nairobi in Kenya and hand painted by local artists before being imported into computers for animation. Designed to be watched by 4–6 year olds, there are many Tinga Tinga Tales toys in production with Bandai being the major licensee. The main characters in the show lend themselves brilliantly to toys - especially Monkey (the leader of the pack), Elephant (voiced by Lenny Henry) and Hippo. The characters that will also be made into toys include Lion, Tickbird and Tortoise.
Bandai will launch a wide range of Tinga Tinga Tales toys that capture the interest and imagination of children who love to learn and understand about cultures other than their own. The company will embrace the characters, stories, art and music to create some outstanding Tinga Tinga toys that will appeal to kids all over the world. One of the showcase toys in the range looks set to be the Waterhole Playset which will feature many of the most popular characters. There will also be a series of plush toys (available as either 15cm or 25cm) which will feature sounds from the show.
Adding to the toys are some audio and electronic books, as well as storybooks that will tell the animal legends that inspired Tinga Tinga Tales to be written and created as a major children’s TV series. The bright African colours and unique musical style looks set to ensure that Tinga Tinga Tales will be a huge success for many years to come.
Tinga Tinga Tales episodes include:
Why Elephant has a trunk
Why Giraffe has a long neck
Why Tortoise has a broken shell
Why Owl's head turns all the way round
Why Lizard always hides under rocks
Why Hen pecks at the ground
Why Spider has a tiny waist
Why Vulture is bald
Why Caterpillar is never in a hurry
Why Lion roars
Why Monkeys swing in the trees
Why Warthog is so ugly
Why Rhino charges
Why Jackal howls at the moon
Why Frog croaks
Why Hippo has no hair
Why Tickbird sits on Hippo's back
Why Chameleon changes colour
Why Hare hops
Why Leopard has spots
Why Bat hangs upside down
Why Crocodile has a bumpy back
Why Woodpecker pecks
Other African animals featured in the show include Porcupine, Hare, Squirrel, Eagle, Mosquito, Bushbaby, Snake, Aardvark, Crab, Wildebeest, Flea, Zebra, Parrot, Ostrich, Camel, Crow, Dragonfly, Hyena, Hummingbird, Baboon, Peacock, Whale, Mole and Skunk. Many of the Tinga Tinga Tales voices are provided by famous actors and actresses such as Meera Syal and Junior Simpson.
Tinga Tinga Tales is designed "to answer all your why's... because there's an answer beneath the Tinga skys!"
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