Kassai and Luk (also called Kassai & Luk, Kassai and Leuk or Samba et Leuk on

Télétoon Télétoon (styled as TĒLĒTOON) is a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by Teletoon Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. Its name is a portmanteau of " télévision" and "cartoon". As of 2013, along with its Englis ...

, also stylized Samba & Leuk') is a children's television series by

Marathon Media Group Zodiak Kids & Family (formerly known as Marathon Media, Marathon Animation, Marathon Productions or Marathon Media Group) is a worldwide French television production company based in Neuilly-sur-Seine. The company was originally founded as Mar ...

. It was developed in 1996 and originally aired in English in 1997 on

Teletoon Teletoon (stylized as TELETOON) is a Canadian English-language specialty channel owned by Teletoon Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. Its name is a portmanteau of "television" and " cartoon". The channel primarily broadcasts ...

, which classified it as a pre-school program. And in Mexico it was aired by Once Niños. Directed by Olivier Massart and inspired in '' La Belle Histoire de Leuk-le-Lièvre'' written by

Abdoulaye Sadji Abdoulaye Sadji (1910 in Rufisque, Senegal – 25 December 1961 in Dakar) was a Senegalese writer and teacher. The son of a Muslim priest, a ''marabout,'' Sadji was educated in a Quranic schoolWästberg, s. 292 before attending French schools. ...

and

Léopold Sédar Senghor Léopold Sédar Senghor (; ; 9 October 1906 – 20 December 2001) was a Senegalese poet, politician and cultural theorist who was the first president of Senegal (1960–80). Ideologically an African socialist, he was the major theoretician o ...

in 1953.

Premise

This short-lived animation series was based on African stories. The three protagonists are the young man Kassai, his sidekick Leuk, a talking humanoid hare who knows the jungle well, and Princess Marana, who is cursed to transform into a

gazelle A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . This article also deals with the seven species included in two further genera, ''Eudorcas'' and ''Nanger'', which were formerly considered subgenera of ''Gazella''. A third f ...

during the day. In the series, Kassai goes on various quests to find the scattered parts of his tribe's patron goddess, Koorie, and tries to stop the plans of the evil god Toguum, who can possess people to do his bidding. The opening theme "Samba Et Leuk" is performed by the African musician

Ismaël Lô Ismaël Lô (also Ismaël Lo; born 1956) is a Senegalese musician and actor. Life Lô was born in Dogondoutchi, Niger on 30 August 1956, to a Senegalese father and a Nigerien mother. Shortly after Lo's birth the family returned to Senegal wher ...

Characters

*Kassai, a boy *Leuk (aka Luk), a hare. *Marana, a girl who is cursed to become a gazelle by day, and return a girl at night *Maliba *Nommos *Ogotem *Togum (aka Togoum) voiced by John Stocker

Episodes

There are 26 episodes.: An Italian website with voice cast and a photograph of the animation series.

References

External links

* 1990s French animated television series Animated television series about rabbits and hares {{animation-tv-prog-stub