Taratabong Explained

Taratabong: The World of the Meloditties (original Italian: Taratabong! Il Mondo dei Musicilli) is a cartoon series produced and directed by Italian studio Toposodo, based on an idea by Marco Bigliazzi and Fabrizio Bondi, and distributed worldwide by Mediatoon. It is intended for children aged 2 to 4 years.

Taratabong is the world inhabited by the Meloditties, which are animated musical instruments.^[1] The cartoon won the 2009 Pulcinella Award for best TV series for preschool children.^[2]

Characters

Main characters

• Trumpee (a cute female trumpet, Snaree's sister)
• Snaree (a funny male snare drum, Trumpee's brother)
• Pino (a little sweet, bubbly, and friendly male upright toy piano, Trumpee and Snaree's best friend)
• Maestro Nomo (voiced by Frank Welker, a male metronome and the music teacher)
• Bone (a male trombone, father of Trumpee and Snaree)
• Drumba (a female bass drum, mother of Trumpee and Snaree)
• The Xylo brothers (individual keys on a xylophone)
• Grando (a male grand piano, father of Pino)
• The Narrator (voiced by Sharon Mann in English, a female narrator interacts with and talks to the Meloditties)

Supporting characters

• Pipeorg (a male pipe organ)
• Barello (a male barrel organ)
• Trebass (a male double bass, Iolin's dad)
• Mari and Bimba (marimbas)
• Chimeo (a female Chimes)
• Rino (a female tambourine)
• Grandpa Tuba (a male Tuba, father of Bone)
• Fluto (a female in English and male in Polish flute)
• Tymp and Tump (the timpani twins)
• Iolin (a male violin)
• Tarrita (a female in English and male in Polish girly girl guitar)
• Paco (a male bass guitar, Electra's cousin)
• Electra (a female tomboy electric guitar)
• Jo (a male banjo)
• Andolino (a male mandolin, Tarrita's cousin)
• Robo (a male in English and female in Polish robot-shaped synthesizer)
• The Tchycapoon Tribe (a series of percussion instruments)
• Aunt Accordia (a female accordion)
• Penny (a female Penny whistle, or Tin Whistle)
• Professor Harpsy (a male Harpsichord)
• Lam, Ello and Phone (3 Jew's Harps)
• The Sax Brothers (a band of saxophones)
• Clari (a male clarinet)
• Clarence (a male bass clarinet)
• Ocarina (ocarina)
• Soon (a male scaredy-cat bassoon)
• Nola (a female bossy Pianola)
• Frenchi (a french horn)
• Tweeti (an English horn)
• Boe (a male oboe)
• Agatha (the female harp)
• Plate and Saucer (two cymbals, cousins of Trumpee and Snaree)
• Gingh Gong (a giant gong)
• Viola (a viola, Iolin's mom)
• Cello (a cello, Iolin's older brother)
• Tom & Tim (a pair of tom-drums, Drumba's brothers)

List of episodes

Season 1

1. The Meloditties / Where's Do? / The Bum Note / The Way to School
2. The Mysterious Track / Splish Splash / Hide and Go Seek ... the Echo / Happy Birthday!
3. Here Not There / The Sax Brothers / Shy Fluto / A Quiet Winter
4. Soft and Loud / Wind Song / Carnival Time / Happy and Sad
5. The Yawning Double Bass / The Off-Key Guitar / Follow the Beat / Musical Theater
6. Taking Turns / Robo the Synthesizer / The Magic Carousel / Jump Up
7. Tarrita and Her Cousins / Ding Dong Bell / Big Voice, Little Voice / The Music of the Stars
8. Grandpa Tuba / The Meloditty Big Band / A Strange Lesson / Drumba, We've Got Visitors
9. Megaphone and Microphone / A Bad Day in Taratabong / Giant Pipeorg / Party Time in the Forest
10. Lamellophones / The Tympani Twins / Ghing Gong / What Soon, the Bassoon, Saw
11. Moonlight Sonata / Sound Patterns / Clary, the Chatterbox Clarinet / Professor Harpsy
12. The Amazing Harp / The Horn Friends / The Pianola / Penny Among the Pumpkins
13. Paco, the Electric Bass / Taperee Remembers / Practice Makes Perfect / The String Family

Notes and References

1. Web site: Taratabong, the World of the Meloditties . 2024-07-14 . Mediatoon Distribution.
2. News: Moody . Annemarie . 7 April 2009 . Phineas and Ferb, LittleBigPlanet & Taratabong Win at Pulcinella Awards . 2024-07-14 . Animation World Network.