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Sierra Leone Says Bye-Bye To Ebola With Rap Song And Hip Dance Moves

What does it feel like to kick out Ebola?

A music video from Sierra Leone makes it clear: pretty darn amazing. One South African publication calls it the "feel-good video of the year."

Sierra Leonean rappers Block Jones and the Freetown Uncut Collective have captured people's exuberance and relief in Bye Bye Ebola, a 3-minute song-and-dance number celebrating the country's new Ebola-free status.

In the video, people express their joy by doing the azonto, a dance craze kind of like the dougie or the nae nae.

"Thank God that it's over, no time for the haters," sings Block. "Now watch me do azonto!"

This part is probably the most heartwarming. Everyone — and we mean everyone — gets down, from nurses and burial teams at Ebola treatment centers to the military and the media. Even President Ernest Bai Koroma makes a cameo, flashing the "V for victory" sign.

Although it's not certain that Ebola won't ever return to Sierra Leone, for now, the country, which has endured 3,955 deaths from the virus,is thrilled to be saying bye-bye.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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Malaka Gharib is the deputy editor and digital strategist on NPR's global health and development team. She covers topics such as the refugee crisis, gender equality and women's health. Her work as part of NPR's reporting teams has been recognized with two Gracie Awards: in 2019 for How To Raise A Human, a series on global parenting, and in 2015 for #15Girls, a series that profiled teen girls around the world.
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