New Boomerang songs, made in Africa for Africa, bring moments for kids to share this festive season…
Watch the Boomerang Tunes promo here
The festive season is a time for families and friends to come together, share special moments, and have tons of fun! This year is particularly unique as many have been living apart, and connecting with family and friends matters more than ever before. But, what’s a festive celebration across Africa without music and dance? On Friday, 4 December, Boomerang will release the last four songs from the second edition of the Boomerang Tunes playlist, sung in English, Pidgin English, and Swahili.
Kicking off the fun fest is Furaha!!!, a Swahili composition by Hugh Davidson and Nekoye Ommeh. Hugh and Nekoye are both accomplished artists in their own right: For the last fifteen years, Hugh has been writing and recording music professionally and has also performed in and produced for bands during this time. “I had a blast! It’s really fun being more playful with music. There was also the added benefit of working on songs in isiZulu and isiXhosa, so I got to work on my language skills a bit more as well,” commented Hugh. Nekoye Ommeh is a Kenyan artist and academic who has showcased her work in different corners of the world and launched her debut album entitled ‘Baba Speaks’ in 2010. “These new Boomerang Tunes are really sweet and authentic, and it has been a whimsical experience creating them in conjunction with Boomerang in location-specific languages, allowing more and more kids across Africa to play and learn in their mother tongue,” added Nekoye.
Fuhara (Swahili) launching on Friday, 4 December
On the 11th and 18th of December, Boomerang will launch Best Friend (Nigerian Pidgin English) and Going to School (English), composed by African music sensation Zinnia Basame. Zinnia stated, “Working on the Boomerang Tunes project felt like going back to kindergarten and learning how to be a kid all over. It took me on a journey to the softest part of my heart, and that felt really nice. It was great working on it.” The ‘Overload’ hitmaker, who is of Cameroonian and Nigerian descent, is no stranger to the world of arts, coming from a musical family. Her mega-hit produced by Nigerian artist and vocal coach, Muno, has bagged five awards across the continent. “Language is definitely a compass when seeking to respectfully navigate different people and cultures, so yes I truly believe these are major steps in representing Africa’s diversity,” Muno says.
Best Friends (Nigerian Pidgin) launching on Friday, 11 December
To close off the festive marathon, and in the spirit of togetherness, My Big Family, composed by South African, Thendo Emmanuel Ramulondi, will launch on 27th of December. “Working on the songs was challenging, but exciting at the same time,” explained Thendo. “The challenging part was to put me in a child’s shoes and to create something fun and happy in line with Boomerang’s vision. But knowing that the music I’m creating had the potential to make some children happy was fulfilling.” The music bug hit Thendo, who is an electrical engineer by trade, at the age of 10 when he was first introduced to keyboards. The versatile Thendo now composes radio jingles and score music for storybook readings and has also become a household name in the South African gospel scene.
My Big Family (English) launching on Sunday, 27 December
Following the successful launch of the first four songs in isiZulu, isiXhosa and English in September, the new fun, playful, and easy to remember sing-along melodies, performed by local five to seven-year-old kids singing the tunes in their authentic languages, will be added to the playlist on Boomerang’s YouTube channel and website from Friday, 4 December.
So why not let your little ones sing and dance along with Boomerang Africa this festive season, and don’t blame us if these catchy tunes get stuck in your head…
Watch. Play. Laugh!
View all four songs here:
Fuhara (Swahili) launching on Friday, 4 December
Best Friends (Nigerian Pidgin) launching on Friday, 11 December
Going to School (English) launching on Friday, 18 December
My Big Family (English) launching on Sunday, 27 December
About WarnerMedia
WarnerMedia is a leading media, advertising and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content from a diverse array of talented storytellers and journalists to global audiences through its consumer brands including HBO, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, CNN, DC Entertainment, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, truTV and others. WarnerMedia is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T).
About Boomerang
Home to your favourite cartoon characters, Boomerang Africa gives kids aged 4-7 years old, and their families, more to laugh about in a safe space. Boomerang is filled with pure universal fun and surprises as seen from a kids’ perspective. Reaching eight million people in South Africa alone, the channel is the #2 most popular kids channel in French-speaking Africa and holds the top spot in the ‘Coolest Animated Brand or Entertainment Characters’ category in South Africa with the famous cat and mouse frenemies, Tom & Jerry. Boomerang’s programming includes other favourite TV shows such as Mr Bean, Wacky Races, New Looney Tunes, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, as well as new Boomerang originals, Taffy and The Happos Family, alongside local African Boomerang productions such as Safari Comedy Show and WOOALA!.
Boomerang is a brand owned by WarnerMedia.
Website: www.Boomerangafrica.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/Boomerang Africa
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BoomerangAfrica/
