The month of April has been littered with many things, with people being in isolation, but one that might be the most memorable would be the coffin carriers challenge that Kenyans have been sharing online.
The internet is awash with a variety of videos and photos of funny situations about to turn tragic, after which the video of sometimes six men or four men dancing with a coffin on their shoulders begins to play.
The video is most often accompanied by an addictive EDM tune titled Astronomia by artistes DJ Vicetone and Iggy, a song that has been propelled to one of the most listened to in 2020, courtesy of the challenge.
For many, this is a moment to have fun and smile at the creativity and humour courtesy of men with a penchant for turning funeral services into something somewhat fun and memorable.
Close the country๐๐๐#coffindancers #coffindancememe pic.twitter.com/6XNlqi1q6k
โ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ (@unclescrooch) April 13, 2020
What many Kenyans might not know is that the group of six is one of the most popular pall-bearers in Ghana, having been among the first to offer a dancing send off as per the request of a family at a negotiated fee.
The 'dancing pallbearer service is widespread in Ghana as BBC reported on Thursday, May 16, with the publication estimating that there are more than 100 members who offer the service.
A number of people have come to publicly confess to hiring the troupe to turn funerals colourful, a matter that Benjamin Aidoo, the founder of the Pallbearers is proud of.
Further reports indicate that the dancers first gained notoriety in 2015 when a YouTuber known as Travelin Sister posted footage of the group carrying caskets to a choreographed dance at a funeral.
The action, however, reached epic proportions when the track Astronomia was added to it, giving it an appeal that defeated local songs that went with the videos initially.
The meme has been parodied by several Kenyan artists including parody guru Padi Woubonn and even made it to the country's political scene where it satirized the Jubilee Party woes as a dying party.
The meme has had a global appeal and has been and has been satirized in popular movies including Titanic, Avengers: Infinity war, and even Terminator.
The group has also been on the receiving end of several Instagram filters in effect creating different race versions of the same tradesmen, showing just the kind of appeal that the group has created.
Below is a compilation of some of those memes...
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