More Than Just a Meme: Funeral Coffin Dancing in Ghana

  

By: Keith Joshua Magbanua Ayag

South Cotabato, Philippines

Despite the adversities that may come, always look over the positive side!
     
     This hits the thought on Ghana's new way of sympathizing over the demised. With festive beats and synchronized movements— funeral dancing is the best thing they do.

     Wearing black and white suits, plus the sunglasses and white spotless gloves; Ghanaian pallbearers dance in groove as the coffins are lifted upon their shoulders. 

Meeting the New Culture: More than a Meme Itself

     As this sort of oddity is quite new to some— funeral dancing became trending and now spreading across social media platforms.

    Twitter. Facebook. Telegram. Whatever social media you're going to use— funeral dancing depicting black men dancing with coffin on their shoulders became a firing internet sensation, specifically used for memes.

      Palbearers of 'Nana Otafrija Pallbearing and Waiting Services' were the ones who made a fresher way on funeral ritual. As their faces circulated online while dancing— they were actually interviewed last year 2017, where BBC news spoke about their popularity in Ghana. 

     “We just ask the client, you want a solemn or do you want a big display?” Benjamin Aidoo, leader of Nana Otafrija pallbearers uttered as he was asked to either do a solemn or a different type of funeral. Now, the pallbearing services they're holding is now up and had already embraced funeral dancing as their usual service.

     Furthermore, being viral across social media lets them urge billions of people nowadays to stay at home in the midst of pandemic. Though their main objective is to change the perception of funeral(celebrating life instead of mourning)— their main thrust is to also thank all of the doctors and influence people to stay inside their respective abodes. 

     As the pallbearers say, "Stay at home or dance with us!" 

Improvisation at its Finest: Ghana's Funeral Culture to a Better Way

      Most people might have misunderstood— as this meme is still currently spreading around social medias (perhaps used a GIF), this sort of improvisation turns the melancholic tradition upside-down.

     "People are improvising, but the cultural value is not lost in the tradition" tells Professor Eve E. Arhin-Sam, an academic professor studying Ghanaian's funeral traditions. Implying that despite of creating a fresher way of sympathizing— the essence of the funeral culture still stirs up.

      Professor Arhin-Sam tells that funeral dancing is a strategy that relieves the family and eases their pain and emotions as they mourn over the deceased. It ameliorates a usual culture into a better one by changing the perception of people: celebrating life instead of mourning for it. 

     "We believe that the spirit lives on and helps to keep the community intact and offers protection to individuals." The professor added.

    Moreover, aside from Ghanaians— funeral dancing is also prevalent internationally. 

    Instead of funeral dancing— United States and United Kingdom black communities call it 'jazz funeral': customarily celebrated through upbeat brass band processions associated with amusingly synchronized dance steps.

     Indeed, diverting unto something positive also brings something salutary— same way with Ghana's funeral dancing, it brings not only joy and amusement, but also hopes for the relatives and friends of the deceased.

    Yet, as funeral dancing comes viral in social media— let's never forget to respect the new culture they are holding. Now says that Ghana's new funeral culture is indeed unique. Amusing. Beneficent. Entitled.