According to Ghanaian customs, dancing at funerals is a farewell ritual to thank the deceased for their journey into the afterlife. In contrast, many places around the world view funerals as a time for solemn respect, mourning, and maximum seriousness. Therefore, the sight of black men carrying a coffin and dancing at a funeral has made netizens feel a mix of curiosity and strangeness. The dance moves of the staff from Nana Otafrija – a funeral company in Ghana – have also spread widely on social media platforms like Tik Tok.
The group of pallbearers has become a common sight for memes and covers on social media. Due to their strong impact and public attention, these black men and their quirky dance have been invited to perform on Ghanaian television. Since the television appearance occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic, the entire team took the initiative to wear face masks for safety.
For those who may not know, Nana Otafrija is a funeral company in Ghana, operated by Benjamin Addo, who also created the dance mentioned above. Born in 1987 into a family of five siblings, his mother was a single parent who made a living selling bananas, forcing Benjamin to hustle from a young age. During high school, he got involved in the funeral service industry and decided to commit to it long-term.
In 2006, Benjamin participated in the funeral of a chief. Because the chief loved to dance while he was alive, his family requested this entertainment service at the funeral. The dancing had to be performed by the pallbearer team. Naturally, no one dared to take on such a strange request, but Benjamin, without much thought, found a few strong individuals and carried out this special ritual. The dance was carefully practiced by the entire team and received positive feedback, helping Benjamin’s company thrive.
Nana Otafrija has now become one of the leading companies in the funeral service industry in Ghana. Anyone wishing to join the company must pay tuition fees for thorough training before officially “earning a living” from funeral service packages.
Benjamin once shared with the BBC his views supporting dancing at funerals. According to him, although a person has passed away, they have appeared and contributed something to this life. The dance serves as a thank you and a farewell for their existence in this world.