{"id":237647,"date":"2022-09-20T14:47:26","date_gmt":"2022-09-20T12:47:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/?p=121629"},"modified":"2022-09-20T14:47:26","modified_gmt":"2022-09-20T12:47:26","slug":"takalani-sesame-a-true-south-african-icon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/takalani-sesame-a-true-south-african-icon\/","title":{"rendered":"Takalani Sesame: A true South African Icon"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"scaip scaip-1 \">\n<aside id=\"republication_tracker_tool-2\" class=\"republication_tracker_tool clearfix\">\n<h5 class=\"adtitle\">Republish for Free<\/h5>\n<div class=\"license\">\n<p><button name=\"Republish This Story\" id=\"cc-btn\" class=\"republication-tracker-tool-button\">Republish This Story<\/button><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"license\" rel=\"noreferrer license noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Creative Commons License\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/takalani-sesame-a-true-south-african-icon.png\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Creative Commons License\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/takalani-sesame-a-true-south-african-icon.png\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"message\">\n<p>Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/aside>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/?attachment_id=121630\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt width=\"300\" height=\"199\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-121630 size-thumbnail lazyload\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/takalani-sesame-a-true-south-african-icon.jpg\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-121630 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/takalani-sesame-a-true-south-african-icon.jpg\" alt width=\"300\" height=\"199\">As we celebrate the new season of Takalani Sesame airing on SABC2, the beloved series continues to make an impact\u2014not just for fans but for the talent behind some of the most beloved characters. With a curricular focus on \u2018big emotions,\u2019 mirroring the intense feelings experienced by many children throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the season has been a special one for the actors who bring the beloved Muppets to life.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s your favourite Takalani Sesame memory? It\u2019s not only young South Africans who are able to offer an answer to this question; many of their moms and dads have grown up with the show, singing along with the likes of Elmo, Zuzi, Kami, Moshe and Zikwe, every week day after school.<\/p>\n<p>One of the reasons for the show\u2019s timeless appeal is its ability to tap into the zeitgeist of the times. The newest season\u2019s accent on \u2018big emotions\u2019 is a case in point: in fact, Damon Berry, the talent who brings Elmo to life, says that this has been a real highlight during his 22 years as part of the show. \u201cIn our exciting new season, Elmo gets a big feeling when he tries to play Zuzu\u2019s Adventure game. It\u2019s very powerful to see Elmo deal with real big feelings like being nervous,\u201d Damon enthuses.<\/p>\n<p>While Damon says that his Takalani Sesame journey started when he was cast as a character in the show\u2019s very first season, other puppeteers have fond memories of watching the characters themselves. Take Nozizwe Zulu, the talent behind Kami, for example: \u201cOf course I watched the show when I was growing up! Everyone in my hood did. I was already in my youth when Takalani Sesame was released in the early 2000, but the show was so much fun that, even at my age, I never wanted to miss it. Even though I was already in the industry, I thought Takalani Sesame was an existing place, like Soweto where I came from. To tell you a secret, I used to tell my grandmother that I wanted to work at Takalani Sesame. I used to love ousMoshidi, who was then Mmadimpho, and I wished I could work with her someday \u2013 talk about fate!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nozizwe isn\u2019t the only person on the team whose life was significantly impacted by the show \u2013 it seems that many people the actors meet have a story to tell about their favourite character. Reshoketswe Maredi, who operates Zikwe\u2019s arm, recalls having coffee with a new friend one day: \u201cWhen he asked where I worked and I told him that I\u2019m a Muppeteer, he got so excited that he started singing all the songs from Takalani. He told me that he\u2019d grown up on it. I knew my chances of dating him were zero percent!\u201d Damon has had a similar experience: \u201cWe were once doing a location shoot in Maboneng. While I was standing there with my character, a successful businessman in a suit got out of his fancy car and started gesticulating out of the window. He wanted to share what a fan he is, and how the show has had a positive impact on him\u2026how it had helped him. What a blessing it is to see that we\u2019ve made a real difference in people\u2019s lives,\u201d Damon muses.<\/p>\n<p>Tumi Maratele, the voice of Zuzu, once found herself seated on a place next to her character\u2019s \u201cgreatest fan\u201d: \u201cI was wearing a Zuzu t-shirt, and she asked where I got it from. When I told her I had received it on set, she told me that Zuzu was her favourite \u2013 and she couldn\u2019t believe it when I told her that I puppeteer Zuzu! I had to show her pics of myself with Zuzu, do Zuzu\u2019s giggle, make her voice and even sing a song. Needless, to say, I performed the whole flight!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nyanga Tshabalala, whose character is Zikwe, says that even if people don\u2019t have their own stories about watching Takalani Sesame, they\u2019re inevitably intrigued when they find out he\u2019s a puppeteer. \u201cThey always want to know how we do it. That tells me that we\u2019re doing something right \u2013 because all children and adults believe in the magic and the messages the characters are putting across on screen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While the puppeteers (or at least, their furry alter egos) have become household names, they all agree that one of the best parts of working on the show is getting to collaborate with South African superstars. The show has a proud history of bringing the cream of local talent onto the set. Think of the time Zikwe taught Jimmy Dludlu to play guitar, or when Elmo jammed with Bra Hugh Masekela, for example. The current series is no different: this time, we\u2019re graced with the presence of the likes of Sho Majozi, Prev Reddy, The Goliaths, Holly &amp; Mimi Ray, Farieda Metsileng and David Kau.<\/p>\n<p>For Lindani Nkosi, better known as Moshe, the inclusion of such celebrities is a highlight \u2013 but perhaps even more memorable are the collaborations with individuals, families and societies in need. \u201cIt\u2019s wonderful that we\u2019ve been able to include people with special needs, adults and children alike,\u201d Lindani says.<\/p>\n<p>As the series celebrates its 13th season, which airs weekdays on SABC 2 at 15:30, it\u2019s clear that one of the reasons for the show\u2019s evergreen appeal, is its ability to keep pace with the times, maintaining relevance and a deep connection with each new generation of youngsters. Who can forget the addition of Kami to the show, for example? As the first HIV-positive Muppet, this much-loved member of the crew had a critical part to play in educating South Africans about living with the virus. Of course, as time has moved on, we\u2019ve encountered new challenges \u2013 and, as ever, the characters have been on hand to help children deal with their evolving circumstances, educating them even as they entertain. Sharon Mekoa, the actor who operates Kami\u2019s arm, believes this is one of the show\u2019s strengths: \u201cWe have so much fun on the show. I think that\u2019s why both adults and children like to watch it: it\u2019s enormously fun, but we\u2019re all learning at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nyanga points out that Takalani Sesame has also played a critical role in helping South African society to integrate, especially as it first appeared on screens at a time when South Africans were searching for a way to create cohesion. \u201cFor the first time in the history of South Africa, children and parents alike were able to watch the same show in their mother tongue languages and receive the same information,\u201d he says. He\u2019s equally proud that the show has gone on to win two international awards.<br \/>As a new generation of South Africans gets ready to sing along to Takalani Sesame\u2019s theme song, one thing is for sure: the show will remain as much a part of local life as shisanyama and biltong for years to come!<\/p>\n<p>After more than 21 years on South African screens, it\u2019s no exaggeration to say that Takalani Sesame has become a household name. In fact, the lovable Muppets of Takalani Sesame have become an entrenched part of family life for generations, making this a true heritage brand.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/mypr.co.za\/contact\/featured\/\">CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <span class=\"post-views-icon dashicons dashicons-chart-bar\"><\/span> <span class=\"post-views-label\">Press Release Views since 1 July 2022:<\/span> <span class=\"post-views-count\">71<\/span> <\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-pagination pagination\">Pages: <span class=\"post-page-numbers current\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Page <\/span>1<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/takalani-sesame-a-true-south-african-icon\/2\/\" class=\"post-page-numbers\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Page <\/span>2<\/a><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\">Source: MyPR.co.za<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Republish for Free Republish This Story Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. As we celebrate the new season of Takalani Sesame airing on SABC2, the beloved series continues to make an impact\u2014not just for fans but for the talent behind some of the most beloved characters. With [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":237648,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[9021,1],"tags":[3257],"class_list":{"0":"post-237647","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mypr","8":"category-south-africa","9":"tag-mypr","10":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/takalani-sesame-a-true-south-african-icon.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237647","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=237647"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237647\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/237648"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=237647"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=237647"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=237647"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}