TikTok: Song and dance craze amid pandemic

It has been slightly over eight months since the first case of Covid-19 was reported in Kenya.

The period has been filled with anxiety, job losses, reduced revenues and interrupted dreams.

Needless to mention the long desperate wait for a vaccine or cure of the virus that has left a trail of millions of deaths worldwide.

"When we got news last week that there will be another lock down in Paris due to a second wave of Covid-19, I felt hopeless. It feels like a cycle with no end in sight,” said Connie Masiga, a Kenyan in France.

She is employed in the hotel industry, but has not worked since March due to containment measures to control the virus. 

“I am constantly looking for something to keep me busy. Music and running have become my source of comfort,” says Masiga.

She adds that she is constantly looking for virtual music concerts by Kenyan musicians, which help her overcome homesickness.

As countries battle a second (and others, like the US, a third) wave of coronavirus with restricted global movements, most people have resorted to music for therapy.

“Jerusalema challenge” is the latest craze worldwide, with people from all walks of life now embracing it. From presidents, priests, the military, students and even prisoners use it to bond. 

"There was tension at our work place. More than half the staff had been fired. We used the dance as a way to thaw things," says one of the participants of the dance craze. 

Local parliamentarians also hosted their own version, amidst criticism from the public.  

"It is insulting to watch them dance to Jerusalema, when they are highly paid but still swindle our resources," said George Ogut on Twitter, when the video of the dance emerged. 

Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo, however, said they were using the dance to unify the country and to show Kenyans that there is peace in diversity," she said.  

Before the Jerusalema challenge, there was the "Don't Rush" challenge that showed people locked down in their homes across the world, dancing themselves silly. 

"We understand that in a period like this, many people may slip into depression due to high levels of inactivity and idleness. So we decided to highlight the togetherness in isolation," said Toluwalase Asolo, who is believed to be the initiator of the challenge that is named after the “Don’t Rush” song by Young T & Bugsey. 

It is also during the coronavirus lockdowns that social media apps like TikTok became popular globally, as people took up challenges that involved singing and dancing.

Psychologists advise people to use different forms of entertainment as relief from the pent up tension that the pandemic has brought. 

"If you love singing, do it. Get into the bathroom and sing your hearts out if it makes you happy," says Peterson Njuguna, a counsellor in Nairobi.