Gentleman Mike Ejeagha, a 90-year-old musician, is currently trending on social media. This is because a comedian named Brain Jotter used Ejeagha’s 1983 song ‘Ka Eşi Le Onye Isi Oche‘ in a video that went viral.
Many young people on social media might only know Ejeagha from the “Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo” part of this song. However, there’s much more to know about this legendary Highlife musician who was very famous in South Eastern Nigeria.
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Gentleman Mike Ejeagha was born in August 1932.
He comes from Imezi Owa, which is in the Eziagu Local Government area of Enugu State. In an interview from 2009, Ejeagha explained that people started calling him “Gentleman” because of how nicely he behaved and treated others.
Ejeagha’s love for music started when he was very young. He was part of an Ogene group (a traditional musical group) when he was in elementary school. He became interested in playing the guitar after watching two musicians named Moses Aduba (also known as Moscow) and Cyprian Uzochiawa play at the Coal Camp in Enugu. Ejeagha learned how to play guitar from these two musicians.
After Ejeagha became good at playing the guitar, he formed his own band in 1950. He called it “Mike Ejeagha and Merry-makers.” Ejeagha’s fame started to grow when Atu Ona, who was in charge of the Nigerian Broadcasting Service (NBS), invited him for an audition. After the audition, Ona gave Ejeagha a radio program called Guitar Playtime. This allowed Ejeagha to play music on the radio and produce musical programs. Later, Ejeagha formed a bigger group called the “Premier Dance Band.“
Ejeagha became even more famous after the Nigerian Civil War. He recorded an album called ‘Omekagu’ with Polygram Records (which was later called Phillips Records). Ejeagha was then invited by the Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS), which is now called Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS), to do a weekly program. In this program, called ‘Akuko n’egwu’ (which means “storytelling in music”), Ejeagha would share a new folktale every week.
Ejeagha is famous for his Igbo folk music.
In his songs, he tells stories that have social, cultural, historical, and moral messages. His music is full of idioms, proverbs, and folktales. This style made him one of the most popular Igbo folk and Highlife artists in Nigerian history.
Ejeagha is said to have recorded 33 albums during his career. One of his classic songs is ‘Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche’, which recently became popular again. This song is a folklore story about how clever the Tortoise is and how strong the Elephant is.
Many people have praised Ejeagha for his impact on Igbo folklore music. His legacy continues to be important today. In March 2023, a writer named Chimezie Chika called Gentleman Mike Ejeagha the “grandfather of modern Igbo folk music.”
In 2022, there were plans to make a documentary film about Gentleman Mike Ejeagha’s life. Michael Chineme Ike was supposed to direct it, and Micstreams Productions was going to produce it. After Ejeagha’s song became popular again recently, fans became interested in this documentary. However, the director, Michael Chineme Ike, said that they couldn’t make the documentary because they didn’t have enough money.
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The recent popularity of Ejeagha’s song ‘Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche’ gives people a chance to celebrate Gentleman Mike Ejeagha’s legacy. It also shows how his music has affected Igbo folk music across different generations. This renewed interest in his work highlights the enduring power of traditional music and storytelling in Nigerian culture.
