New African music-led children’s animation Kunda & Friends brings diversity and innovation to YouTube’s preschool programming
Award-winning children’s publishing and media company Kunda Kids is proud to announce the launch of their latest creation, Kunda & Friends, a music-led children’s animation now on YouTube.
Set in a beautiful African landscape, each episode explores different aspects of friendship and how it can be nurtured and strengthened in fun and exciting ways. The music for each episode is inspired by African culture, with influences from genres such as Afrobeats, reggae and Amapiano.
Kunda & Friends is everything we love about Cocomelon, set in Africa and developed by teachers and educators with an emphasis on STEAM learning. The show features preschool content anchored in math, phonics, and soft skills such as friendship, confidence, and kindness; but with a more eclectic cast, themes and musical references.
Kunda & Friends soundtrack music is inspired by African culture, with influences from genres such as Afrobeats and Amapiano, popularized by Grammy award-winning artists such as Burna Boy and WizKid.
The need for more diversity in children’s entertainment
The need for more diversity and better representation of Africa in children’s entertainment cannot be overemphasized. The show is an excellent portrayal of Africa for children, featuring vibrant characters, each with unique personalities and quirks. According to a study by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, only 10% of characters in children’s media are from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, and only 2.9% of speaking characters are black. Exposure to diverse representations of different cultures can promote empathy, understanding, and acceptance of others.
Kunda & Friends is helmed by Executive Producer Chiderah Monde, formerly of Twitter (Africa), with animation led by Raymond Malinga, a former Disney producer.
Chidera says: “Imagine a future led by children whose understanding of the world is shaped by kindness, empathy, trust and community. This is the world that Kunda, Sana, Fela and the whole gang live in, and it’s one we want to bring to life – not just on screen. We invite everyone to participate in the vibrancy and richness of African culture and storytelling through Kunda & Friends.”
Raymond says: “Kunda & Friends is an opportunity to not only impact the younger generation of kids from around the world, but to impact the lives of artists who yearn to work on bigger productions.”
About Kunda Kids
Kunda & Friends is created by Kunda Kids is an award-winning children’s publishing, Ed-tech and media company based in London, UK. Founded in 2020 by Oladele and Louisa Olafuyi, Kunda Kids aims to showcase different elements of African culture in creative, fun and simple formats for kids.
Kunda Kids is on a mission to promote diversity and inclusion in children’s literature and media. With a focus on African culture and essential soft skills such as self-confidence, teamwork and friendliness, our captivating and inspiring stories have a positive impact on children’s development.
Extra information
Live launch: May 29, 2023 at the O2 Cineworld Greenwich in London
Contact: Louisa Olafuyi louisa@kundakids.com
Kunda & Friends Media Kit: Click here to download
Kunda & Friends YouTube Channel: Click here to watch
Kunda & Friends Instagram: @kundaandfriends
