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If you haven't seen it, you may be quarantining outside the Solar System. The same sequence has been repeated on all the screens for weeks: someone is about to screw up and the same melody is playing. It is the fail-signal: black men dance coffins . An irony with death in a context in which the dead are piling up. All the actions that can end in tragedy have behind them a group of Africans specialized in choreographing the transfer of a dead person. We cannot bury our deceased, but we compulsively consume those kitsch funerals.

"Coffin porters raise spirits at Ghanaian funerals with wacky dances . Families increasingly pay more for their services to fire their loved ones in this way," describes the BBC footage from a documentary filmed in the African country, where they already "spend more money on funerals than weddings," according to a travel portal.

In 2015, a YouTube user uploaded a video of a funeral in Ghana. "I traveled to Ghana," she writes in the video description, "to attend my mother-in-law's funeral and witnessed an incredible performance." And he writes literal: "Professional dancing pallbearers", the UPA Dance of the funeral homes. I mean, professional casket dancers. "They honored Mom's farewell with amazing moves, a graceful footwork and incredible strength that would be the pride of any Guinean family," he says. The video lasts six minutes. And an entertainer gives atmosphere to the funeral by encouraging the porters.

The testimony of a hallucinated daughter-in-law: "It is traditional for the family to help cover the funeral expenses. Many Guineans use their savings and ask for loans to bury their relatives . Funeral rites in Ghana are incredibly important. The deceased can spend an average two months in the (refrigerated) warehouse until the family decides the date and location of the funeral. " Each day in the deposit costs about four euros and can accumulate up to 500 bodies.

Wild tradition

At some point the tradition went wild. Coffins are built in the shapes of animals, the dead are presented as if they were alive, and choreographies are made of the coffins. The American citizen who flew to witness her mother-in-law's funeral does not believe. "It is usual for the family to wear black and white," as if they were wearing uniforms, he explains in a blog that he opened in 2015 to tell about his experience in Ghana.

"The family prepares typical food for days. It is their responsibility to feed each of those attending the celebration," which is sometimes more for family members than weddings. "Thousands of cedis [Guinean currency] can be spent on food, drinks, chairs, djs, posters, T-shirts ..." and even a camera so that they can later watch the video of the funeral several times. "Ghana is also known for its fun coffins."

"The church service was also incredible. Well done, my people," congratulates them before confessing "being speechless because it is exciting all the time. Great ecclesiastical service," he points out with five stars to the mass for the deceased. "Now you have to see the dancing porters . My head exploded. I am delighted to have witnessed this show in person. I admire the strength and talent of these young people."

At first, the videos, according to the 'Know your meme' website, were used to laugh at accidents, hinting that they could end in death. The song that is already the soundtrack for this millennial version of top-notch videos is 'Astronomy'. Electronic music that fits perfectly with the funeral movement. In a video uploaded a year ago, a coffin falls, the viral fragment that enlivens confinement. It was shared on Facebook on May 2, 2019 and for a year it was shared almost 5,000 times, reaching 350,000 views.

The author of the first montage is unknown. He made the jump to Tik-Tok a few weeks ago, on February 26, the video social network, and the following is already history. In Spain it serves to criticize some decisions made by politicians during the pandemic or to subtly point out that some statements anticipated the misfortune "that no one saw coming." But here the dead do not dance or are accompanied.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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