Recently, we can see many spoof videos on the Internet: the subject of the video is basically the protagonist doing some dangerous activities. When they mess up one thing, they connect with the rhythmic electronic sound. The video clip of is a scene of a group of black people dancing and carrying a coffin, which not only expresses the meaning of "don't die", but also creates a comic effect.
In a very short period of time, "black people carrying coffins" has become a very popular stalk on the Internet. People who don't understand are embarrassed to say that they usually go online. So where do these black people come from? Why do they want to "tomb-tou"? What about the soundtrack in the spoof video?
The coffin-carrying team came from the Ashanti region in central Ghana, and their head was Benjamin Aidu. They were originally an ordinary funeral team, responsible for escorting the coffin after someone passed away. Later, Aidu's team decided to join the dance in the process of escorting the coffin. If the customer needs to dance, there is an additional charge.
When Aidu was still studying in high school in 2007, he joined the funeral industry in order to make money. Later he decided to play a trick at the funeral. He said: "In Ghana, you have to be creative to move forward. You can't always stay in one place. At first people would wear all-black clothing when burying someone. Later I decided to add colors."
As a result, his team bought suits, shoes, various clothes and accessories, and conducted training. Before lifting the coffin, the team must make careful preparations, polish the shoes, tidy up the suit, and put on all items.
In addition, Ghana has more than one such team. In order to suppress competitors, Aidu's team must continue to improve the choreography of the dance, jumping out of various tricks, to show that the treatment of the deceased is unique.
Perhaps in our opinion, we must go into the soil after death for safety, and we should not engage in these noisy and fancy things. But in Ghana, there are different opinions. A granddaughter of the deceased said: "This is our greatest respect for the deceased. We must encourage this. This is the last respect for the deceased."
But another family member of the deceased emphasized: “In fact, this is not our cultural tradition. It has no symbolic meaning. We don’t do it religiously, and we don’t do it traditionally.” Aidu’s opinion is: “No matter the funeral People want to cry or don’t want to cry. We make them happy. We do these things to encourage them."
Of course, before the funeral, the Aidu team will ask the customers' opinions, such as whether they want to be more serious or want to add more performance elements. If the client agrees, the team will start their own performance. During the performance, there are two words: professional. Some customers say that they never make a mistake when dancing, and they can step on it.
Don't think that "professional" is just talking. There used to be an unprofessional team in Ghana, who slipped their hands while dancing, and they did not have a good balance. They accidentally dropped the deceased's body from the coffin board, and the entire coffin was turned upside down on the ground and pressed against the body.
In fact, this coffin-lifting team became famous as early as 2015. At that time, someone posted their coffin-lifting dance to the Internet, which aroused the attention of some netizens. In 2017, the BBC also reported on them. It wasn't until this year that their dances were matched with music and edited into various spoofs and ghost and animal works that made the Aidu team famous. And with the explosive spread of the Internet, "black people carrying coffins" has become a stalk that has taken the world by storm. At present, Aidu also has a company with more than 100 employees.
When you watch the black man carrying the coffin series of ghosts and animals, you will always follow the rhythm of the background music and shake your legs. The dance steps of the coffin carrier can often step on the points of the background music, which is very magical. In this video series, the most used music is "Astronomia", which means "astronomy" in Italian.
"Astronomia" was released in 2010 and the author is Tony Igy from Russia. Recently, because the black man carried the coffin, the music became popular again. This kind of electronic music with a strong sense of rhythm, coupled with the magical dance of the coffin carrier, does sound quite interesting.
The following is the full version of the music, everyone enjoy it:
以下是音乐的完整版,每个人都喜欢:
It can be said that this series of spoof videos can become popular and has a lot to do with the soundtrack. Some people think that under the raging new crown virus, netizens need to have fun to make themselves happy, even if this is just a black humor.
In fact, the funeral culture of Ghanaians is also very distinctive. Especially the coffins can be customized and have any shape. There are shoe-shaped and house-shaped ones, only you can't think of, and they can't do it without them.
These coffins are made by professional carpenters and are regarded as works of art. They have also been brought to foreign countries for exhibitions. Ghanaian coffins have been exhibited in many art museums and galleries around the world.
This culture was first initiated by the Canadian-Adanbi people in southern Ghana. They believe in an afterlife, and believe that death is not the end of life, and that life will continue to exist in the next world. And the ancestors who have passed away have a powerful force that can affect the living offspring. Therefore, they pay much attention to the coffin. If the deceased has a high social status, the coffin will be very beautifully designed.
This custom coffin can only be seen on the day the deceased is buried. Usually, the design of the coffin is related to the occupation of the deceased. And various animal designs, such as lions, chickens, and crabs, all represent the totem of the clan where the dead belonged.
This customized coffin is produced on order and will not be mass produced. Every master craftsman hires apprentices, ranging from one to several. These apprentices will be responsible for most of the work, so that the masters can make multiple coffins at the same time.
The coffin is selected from some high-grade wood to prevent insects and corrosion. It takes about 2-6 weeks to make such a coffin, depending on the complexity of the design and the skill of the craftsman. All woodwork is done by hand, without the help of electrical equipment.
Many masters who make coffins have been regarded as artists. For example, Kudgio-Afotu, who opened his own studio and collaborated with some European artists to design some coffins, which were exhibited in European art galleries such as the Pompidou Centre in Paris. Eric Ananang was invited to participate in Milan Design Week in 2013.