SAN JOSE, Costa Rica 鈥� A Roman Catholic priest better known for his outreach to the poor is winning new fans with his catchy public health-focused lyrics set to a popular 1990s salsa tune as Costa Rica experiences its worst moment of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the past two Sundays, Sergio Valverde has performed his song and choreographed dance at the front of Cristo Rey church south of San Jose. His aim is getting people to wear protective masks and continue being careful.
鈥淲ithout the mask, there鈥檚 COVID for you, COVID for me,鈥� goes Valverde鈥檚 reworked chorus for the song 鈥淪opa de Caracol鈥� or 鈥淪nail Soup.鈥�
Valverde said he hadn鈥檛 even written down his rendition, but rather was improvising. Its viral spread on social media surprised him.
鈥淭he issue of COVID is affecting the entire world, there鈥檚 pain, there鈥檚 suffering,鈥� Valverde said. 鈥淚, as a priest, see so many people suffering, sick, in pain, people without work and who are dying of hunger and I wanted to help a little.鈥�
Valverde鈥檚 timing couldn鈥檛 be better. Costa Rica tallied more than 2,700 new infections one day last week, a record. The intensive care units of its public hospitals have reached 95% capacity. In total, the country has recorded more than 3,200 COVID-19 deaths.
On Monday, the government forced nonessential businesses in the country鈥檚 central region to close and imposed restrictions limiting vehicular traffic.
Valverde is known for his ministry to abandoned children and for giving food to the poor. The economic crisis deepened by the pandemic has meant he鈥檚 seeing more need than ever before, he said.
His performance has made it to Honduran Pilo Tejeda, the composer of the Spanish version, who now says he will record Valverde鈥檚 new version with him.
鈥淭he whole world is so crazy that they looked for another nut,鈥� Valverde said, admitting that he has enjoyed the experience.
Sopa de Caracol itself is an adaptation of the Garifuna song written and performed by Belizean Hern谩n 鈥淐hico鈥� Ramos. The song performed by Honduran group Banda Blanca took off in 1991.
Javier Cordoba, The Associated Press
