A blast from the past with Arabic cartoon shows
Tarek Tourgane and his family bring back nostalgia and memories with Arabic cartoon shows at the TEDinArabic Summit
Artist and animator Tarek Al-Arabi Tourgane and his sons Dima, Mohammed and Tala gave performances that inspired the audience and brought back childhood memories during the TEDinArabic Summit that was held recently in Doha, as part of a partnership between Qatar Foundation and TED.
Tarek Al-Arabi Tourgane and his sons are considered to be among the pioneers of making children’s songs and animations in the Arab world. These songs and animations had a great impact on the lives of people in the 1980s and 1990s. The most famous of these works include Simba, Remy, Babar the Elephant, and Detective Conan.
Arabic animation shows play an important role in promoting children's learning of the classical Arabic language, and Tourgane says that the reason is because they adopt learning through fun.
Children have abilities of understanding beyond our imaginations, and Tourgane says that basic children's songs undermine what such songs are actually capable of. He says: "This is how we learn language. We absorb and understand meanings of words when we listen to them over and over again.”
As for the future of the animation industry in the Arab world, Tourgane said that there are many challenges, including the different options now available for children to browse content on the internet and digital platforms.
But Tourgane believes there will be a new generations of Arab animation-makers who will revolutionize this industry, saying: "This is what I see when I meet those young people in our visits to Arab countries.”
