Dubai-based Rasha Rizk on singing for anime

Any Arab child who grew up watching Arabic dubbed anime series would immediately recognise the widely popular tunes of such productions that were often performed by Rasha Rizk.

The 48-year-old Syrian singer, songwriter, and voice-over artist has been singing cartoon theme songs since she was 19.

Her most significant pieces include the heart-warming mothers’ song Reemi, Ana wa Akhi and Al Qannas.

She also starred in the Arabic opera Ibn Sina in 2003 in Doha, Qatar.

Her most recent work includes the Emirati-produced science fiction animation series Ajwan, which is considered the first of its kind in the Arab world. Rizk played the voice of the main character.

In this interview, Rizk speaks to us about her journey and aspirations for the Arab youth amid the recent conflicts and turmoil.

What sparked your interest in the cartoon industry and how did you start singing for it?

The beginning was pure coincidence. Venus Center, which specialises in dubbing animated content into Arabic, were looking for new voices, so I auditioned for them.

I was already a singer and a student at the Higher Institute for Music (in Damascus, Syria), I was practising opera singing, and was interested in exploring more types of music and voice acting. When I tried it, I found it quite entertaining. If you don’t feel entertained with what you do, you won’t develop the passion for it. So that was how the journey started and continues till this day.

Out of the dozens of productions you have produced over the years, which would you say you connected with the most?

Mostly ,the productions where I played a role in, for instance in the Arabic adaptation of Anastasia, where I performed the voiceover for Anastasia’s character and sang the soundtracks for it, I connected with the character and the music.

Can you tell us more about the Emirati-produced cartoon Ajwan, and how you believe it relates to the Arab youth, children and even adults?

Ajwan has a symbolic story, and its significance lies in the fact that it is a pure Arab production, which is quite rare in the animation market. It was also written by the Emirati author Noura Al Noman, whose writings target the youth particularly - an essential element; we need to produce more literature that appeals to the youth to encourage them to read.

Furthermore, the character of Ajwan features a young woman who immigrated to another planet, she experiences war, tragedy and becoming a refugee, so it certainly relates to a big fraction of our youth and the situation we live in.

As an artist, how have the decades of crises and conflict in the Arab world influenced your work?

The artist must always express the voice of the people, especially the people whose voices are not heard and continue to suffer in silence. Artists cannot influence political circumstances, but they can influence people’s hearts; an artist won’t be able to stop a missile or bomb, but he can change the mentalities of people. When I write my songs, I aim to deliver a message. For instance, my first album, Malak, spoke about the children of martyrs, homelessness, expatriation – issues from our reality. I am also preparing a song for Palestine with the Algerian artist Manal Gherbi.

How do you believe the messaging behind anime productions has evolved over the years? Back in 70s, 80s and 90s the humanitarian aspect was quite prominent, most series featured an orphan girl or a homeless boy, or a lost child, but more recently we find them more action or comedy oriented.

True, but the humanitarian angle will always be there. Recent productions are certainly taking a more vibrant twist, but they will never lack the humanitarian angle. For instance, Abtal Al-Dijital (Digimon Adventures - which started airing in the early 2000s) highlights friendship, loyalty and values. Similarly, the comedy aspect has always been present since the days of Tom and Jerry, and will continue to exist. Therefore, the core content will always emphasise humanitarian values; it just takes on a new shape based on the age we live in.

How old is your daughter Sarah now? And has she developed an interest in the industry as well?

My daughter will soon turn 13, she loves manga drawing and plays music as well – she is a violinist and pianist, but she spends most of her time drawing.

What is the significance of festivals similar to Animenia for the community and younger generations?

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