South Africa lifts spirits with Jerusalema dance amid virus

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africans of all walks of life are dancing to “Jerusalema,” a rousing anthem to lift their spirits amid the battle against COVID-19.

In response to a call from President Cyril Ramaphosa to mark the country's Heritage Day holiday Thursday, people from townships to posh suburbs are doing line dances to the tune.

In the upbeat song in the Zulu language, the singer implores to be taken away from the troubles of the world to go to Jerusalem, effectively heaven. The song, by popular DJ Master KG with vocals by Nomcebo Zikode, was a hit in South Africa last year and became even more popular this year as people saw its message as a way to cope with the tragedies of the coronavirus pandemic.

It was picked up in Angola, where a video showed a group of people interrupting their meal to do a line dance to the song. Soon it became a dance craze across southern Africa and beyond with Youtube featuring scores of videos of various groups doing the line dance.

Health care workers in South Africa dance to the song as they suit up in protective gear, lawyers in Zimbabwe put aside their cases to dance, workers at a South African supermarket, students and teachers at numerous schools and many other groups have posted videos, most showing dancers in face masks and keeping a distance from each other.

The popularity of the Jerusalema dance has been praised by South Africa's president as a sign of the country's positive spirit.

“We are the nation that is taking the world by storm with the #JerusalemaChallenge, as young and old in France, the UK, Jamaica, Angola and even in Palestinian East Jerusalem itself are getting in on the craze,” wrote Ramaphosa on Thursday to mark Heritage Day, the country's public holiday celebrating the country's racial and ethnic...