If there is anything that Ugandans are well known for, then that is surely how we deal with pain and unfortunate situations with a taste of sarcasm and humor, even if it has to be dark humor.
The ongoing partial lockdown and continuous strain of news about the Coronavirus pandemic has left many people worldwide looking for something to smile about and a number of Ugandans have found their escape in Ghana’s dancing pallbearers who have since been turned into memes.
The Nile Post has established that the group is based in Ghana and they are occasionally hired on funerals where the bereaved family opts for an upbeat funeral to give their departed loved ones a ‘dancing trip’ to their final resting place.
Ibrahim Khalilulahi, a developmental journalist and our source in Ghana told us that funerals in Ghana are more than just families seeing their loved ones off.
“Funerals in Ghana are not just seen as a transition but a time to celebrate the soul of the departed. They add delight to it and families try to give mourners something to smile about,” Khalilulahi told Nile Post.
Khalilulahi added that it is also another way to create employment for many youth in Ghana.
In 2017, the BBC documented Benjamin Aidoo, the leader of one of the most popular dancing pallbearers in Ghana who said that he had created over 100 jobs for youth in Ghana.
“This is my way of easing the unemployment levels in Ghana,” Aidoo told BBC
The group also invests heavily in the outfits for the team and Aidoo said that they also provide normal pall bearing services to their clients who don’t want the dances.
“I decided to add choreography to it so if the client comes to us, we just ask them; do you want it solemn or do you want a bit more of display?”
Nile Post also established that in Ghana, just like many parts in Africa, funerals are important social occasions and with troupes like these, many Ghanaians are continuously sending off their loved ones in style.
In Uganda, social media users and content creators on platforms like Twitter and TikTok have made the group viral with short videos of people doing dangerous and daring activities before the pallbearers coming in.
Although the pallbearers dance to several songs back in Ghana, the social media memes are accompanied by Tony Igy’s song titled “Astronomia”.
Additional reporting from other sources
