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| The sudden rise of the coronavirus grim reaper: Ghana’s dancing pallbearers | The sudden rise of the coronavirus grim reaper: Ghana’s dancing pallbearers |
| (1 day later) | |
| You may have seen them on the Internet: six men in black suits, sunglasses and patent leather shoes grooving to a techno beat while carrying a coffin. | You may have seen them on the Internet: six men in black suits, sunglasses and patent leather shoes grooving to a techno beat while carrying a coffin. |
| They are Ghana’s dancing pallbearers, a crew of funeral performers who have long sought to make mourners grin through grief. But as the coronavirus pandemic rages, they’ve become the accidental faces of a stay-at-home movement — comedic grim reapers edited into footage of risky behavior as a warning. | They are Ghana’s dancing pallbearers, a crew of funeral performers who have long sought to make mourners grin through grief. But as the coronavirus pandemic rages, they’ve become the accidental faces of a stay-at-home movement — comedic grim reapers edited into footage of risky behavior as a warning. |
| Reopening a mall when cases are mounting? Cue the dancing pallbearers. | Reopening a mall when cases are mounting? Cue the dancing pallbearers. |
| Protesting a lockdown in a covid-19 hot spot? Cue the dancing pallbearers. | Protesting a lockdown in a covid-19 hot spot? Cue the dancing pallbearers. |
| Forget to wash your hands before eating? Cue the dancing pallbearers. | Forget to wash your hands before eating? Cue the dancing pallbearers. |
| People in China, Brazil and the United States have shared video after video since the outbreak began, garnering millions of clicks and an international fan base for the pallbearers. | People in China, Brazil and the United States have shared video after video since the outbreak began, garnering millions of clicks and an international fan base for the pallbearers. |
| Sign up for our Coronavirus Updates newsletter to track the outbreak. All stories linked in the newsletter are free to access. | Sign up for our Coronavirus Updates newsletter to track the outbreak. All stories linked in the newsletter are free to access. |
| Benjamin Aidoo, who leads the group, isn’t sure how it happened. He woke up one March morning and saw his signature moves everywhere. | Benjamin Aidoo, who leads the group, isn’t sure how it happened. He woke up one March morning and saw his signature moves everywhere. |
| “It’s a bit scary, but it’s funny, too,” said Aidoo, 32, who lives in Accra, the capital of Ghana. “People are saying, ‘I’d rather stay home than have these guys bury me.’ ” | “It’s a bit scary, but it’s funny, too,” said Aidoo, 32, who lives in Accra, the capital of Ghana. “People are saying, ‘I’d rather stay home than have these guys bury me.’ ” |
| Colombian police mimicked his footwork this month as they shouldered a coffin through the city of Quibdó, urging residents through loudspeakers to remain indoors. Pictures of Aidoo’s guys have emerged with warnings in French and Portuguese: “Stay at home or dance with us.” | Colombian police mimicked his footwork this month as they shouldered a coffin through the city of Quibdó, urging residents through loudspeakers to remain indoors. Pictures of Aidoo’s guys have emerged with warnings in French and Portuguese: “Stay at home or dance with us.” |
| Columbia Police imitating the famous dancing pallbearers from Ghana. The objective of all this is to remind the people to strictly adhere to the STAY AT HOME directive from the Government of Colombia. pic.twitter.com/QFJMa0lkhu | |
| One fan drew the pallbearers as comic-book superheroes. Another re-created them as eggs balancing a Twinkie. Another styled them as Legos. A Hong Kong shop molded them into plastic figurines. | One fan drew the pallbearers as comic-book superheroes. Another re-created them as eggs balancing a Twinkie. Another styled them as Legos. A Hong Kong shop molded them into plastic figurines. |
| At a time when mortality is on everyone’s minds, morbid humor seems to be a popular coping mechanism. | At a time when mortality is on everyone’s minds, morbid humor seems to be a popular coping mechanism. |
| English-speaking Twitter users have mentioned “dancing pallbearers” at least 60,000 times this month, said Yasuko Quinn, a spokeswoman for the platform. (That’s more than “in the previous history of Twitter” altogether, she added.) | English-speaking Twitter users have mentioned “dancing pallbearers” at least 60,000 times this month, said Yasuko Quinn, a spokeswoman for the platform. (That’s more than “in the previous history of Twitter” altogether, she added.) |
| A Washington Post search for their online admirers turned up a few theories as to why. | A Washington Post search for their online admirers turned up a few theories as to why. |
| Richmond Lee, a video game artist in Chiang Mai, Thailand, described them as “THE meme of 2020” to his 13,200 followers. | Richmond Lee, a video game artist in Chiang Mai, Thailand, described them as “THE meme of 2020” to his 13,200 followers. |
| “I’ve seen it used in Thai, Chinese and Japanese memes,” said Lee, 36. “These are cultures where it’s much more taboo to talk about death directly. The pallbearers lighten the mood.” | “I’ve seen it used in Thai, Chinese and Japanese memes,” said Lee, 36. “These are cultures where it’s much more taboo to talk about death directly. The pallbearers lighten the mood.” |
| They regularly crack up Kevin Mboya, a 25-year-old social media manager in Nairobi, who posted a reggae version. | They regularly crack up Kevin Mboya, a 25-year-old social media manager in Nairobi, who posted a reggae version. |
| Life is tense, he said. The pallbearers offer a fun twist on doom. | Life is tense, he said. The pallbearers offer a fun twist on doom. |
| “But most importantly,” he said, “they remind me and my friends to stay at home and stop the spread.” | “But most importantly,” he said, “they remind me and my friends to stay at home and stop the spread.” |
| Shandhi Sayogo, a 24-year-old graphic artist in Bandung, Indonesia, said the meme brought some joy to his quarantine, so he turned Aidoo’s team into a pixelated animation. | Shandhi Sayogo, a 24-year-old graphic artist in Bandung, Indonesia, said the meme brought some joy to his quarantine, so he turned Aidoo’s team into a pixelated animation. |
| They gave him, he said, “positive thoughts and energy.” | They gave him, he said, “positive thoughts and energy.” |
| For Aidoo, the attention is a distraction from the somber reality in Ghana, which has recorded 1,279 coronavirus cases and 10 deaths as of Friday. The West African nation has banned large gatherings with music to curb transmissions. | For Aidoo, the attention is a distraction from the somber reality in Ghana, which has recorded 1,279 coronavirus cases and 10 deaths as of Friday. The West African nation has banned large gatherings with music to curb transmissions. |
| Now the pallbearers wear face masks and give toned-down shows at smaller funerals. But they let loose last week after a local news station invited them to dance at the studio. | Now the pallbearers wear face masks and give toned-down shows at smaller funerals. But they let loose last week after a local news station invited them to dance at the studio. |
| Ghanaian funerals have long featured dancing. When people die naturally in old age, it’s not unusual for relatives to plan days-long events with photographers, open bars, full buffets and live bands. | Ghanaian funerals have long featured dancing. When people die naturally in old age, it’s not unusual for relatives to plan days-long events with photographers, open bars, full buffets and live bands. |
| Tastes vary widely. Not everyone wants a lavish party, and solemnity reigns if someone dies young. | Tastes vary widely. Not everyone wants a lavish party, and solemnity reigns if someone dies young. |
| Family members usually carried the coffins before a private industry blossomed in the 1990s, said Wilhelmina Donkoh, a Ghanaian author and historian. | Family members usually carried the coffins before a private industry blossomed in the 1990s, said Wilhelmina Donkoh, a Ghanaian author and historian. |
| “Over time,” she said, “the pallbearers wanted to distinguish themselves by putting up intricate displays.” | “Over time,” she said, “the pallbearers wanted to distinguish themselves by putting up intricate displays.” |
| These days, they seem to be tapping into a universal desire. | These days, they seem to be tapping into a universal desire. |
| “People want and need comic relief,” she said, “to cover up the reality of a disease without a cure.” | “People want and need comic relief,” she said, “to cover up the reality of a disease without a cure.” |
| They can laugh all they want, Aidoo said — the service is meant to lift moods. | They can laugh all they want, Aidoo said — the service is meant to lift moods. |
| He fell into a job at a funeral home as a teenager and formed a dance group to stand out. That troupe of six has since swelled into a force of 100. | He fell into a job at a funeral home as a teenager and formed a dance group to stand out. That troupe of six has since swelled into a force of 100. |
| They perform at funerals across Ghana, tweaking routines to fit customer requests. | They perform at funerals across Ghana, tweaking routines to fit customer requests. |
| He envisions taking the business global once it’s safe to travel. He dreams of performing in Argentina, he said, because he’s a huge fan of the soccer star Lionel Messi. | He envisions taking the business global once it’s safe to travel. He dreams of performing in Argentina, he said, because he’s a huge fan of the soccer star Lionel Messi. |
| For now, like practically everyone else, Aidoo is grounded, laughing at the memes and leaning into his strange new role. | For now, like practically everyone else, Aidoo is grounded, laughing at the memes and leaning into his strange new role. |
| One television host recently asked him: What if people don’t stay home? | One television host recently asked him: What if people don’t stay home? |
| “We’re going to dance with them,” the pallbearer said. | “We’re going to dance with them,” the pallbearer said. |
| Warnings of worsening hunger, malaria emerge as coronavirus cases spike 40% in Africa | Warnings of worsening hunger, malaria emerge as coronavirus cases spike 40% in Africa |
| Africa’s most vulnerable countries have few ventilators — or none at all | Africa’s most vulnerable countries have few ventilators — or none at all |
| The mystery of Cameroon’s unusually absent president: ‘Sir, are you alive?’ | The mystery of Cameroon’s unusually absent president: ‘Sir, are you alive?’ |
| Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world | Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world |
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