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https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2023/0426/Beyond-Sesame-Street-African-kids-shows-go-local>
"As a child in London in the 1980s, Agnes Soyode-Johnson spent her weekend
mornings with her siblings, watching cartoons like “Scooby Doo,” “Dennis the
Menace,” and “Inspector Gadget.”
The child of Nigerian immigrants, she rarely stopped to think about why so few
of the characters looked like her. Then, in 1992, she saw a movie that changed
everything. As Aladdin and Jasmine rode their magic carpet over an Arabian
desert kingdom singing about a new world, Ms. Soyode-Johnson marveled at their
dark hair and brown skin.
“I loved it so much because I could relate,” says Ms. Soyode-Johnson. “I felt
seen.” Fast-forward three decades. Ms. Soyode-Johnson – now a TV producer
living in Lagos, Nigeria – was trying to keep two toddlers busy during a global
pandemic. Her house echoed with the songs and squeals of her kids’ favorite TV
shows: “Cocomelon,” “Peppa Pig,” “PAW Patrol,” and as in her own childhood, she
noticed that all the shows her kids watched were from the West. She wanted her
children to feel as she had when she saw “Aladdin” all those years ago. So she
created “OmoBerry,” a YouTube cartoon that features a cast of young characters
from across Africa.
The popular program is part of a larger movement by African animators to make
shows that reflect the experiences of the continent’s children. Many, like
“OmoBerry,” are self-published on YouTube and other free platforms,
sidestepping the need for support from big Western animation producers."
Via Frederick Wilson II.
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
