Taratabong Explained

Taratabong: The World of the Meloditties (original Italian: Taratabong! Il Mondo dei Musicilli) is an Italian Computer Animation Pre-School series Animated 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.