A popular Nigerian highlife musician, Mike Ejeagha, has died at the age of 95.
Popularly known as “Gentleman Mike Ejeagha,” the music legend died on Friday night.
The musician’s eldest son, Emma, who confirmed his passing on Saturday to journalists in Enugu said he died on Friday evening at approximately 8 p.m. at the 32 Garrison Hospital in Enugu after a prolonged illness.
“My father passed away due to a long-standing ailment,” said Emma.
Ejeagha’s legacy is marked by his distinctive style of Igbo folk music, which resonated across multiple generations.
Born on April 4, 1930, in Imezi Owa, Enugu State, Ejeagha rose to prominence during the 1960s and 1980s with timeless hits like Omekagu, Uwa Mgbede Ka Mma, and Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche (Gwogwogwongwo).
Ejeagha’s contributions to preserving and promoting Igbo culture through music are monumental, with over 300 recordings archived in the National Archives of Nigeria.
His recent resurgence in popularity, sparked by the viral dance challenge of his 1983 track Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche in 2024, used by comedian and skit maker Brain Jotter introduced his music to a younger audience.
The video posted on Jotter’s Instagram account on July 5, 2024, was viewed 29.1 million times with over 30,000 comments while accumulating 19.6 million views on Tik Tok and over 23,000 comments. The viral video has since sparked a trend on social media with over 7,000 reels and 29,000 Tik Tok posts created using the song over the in just one week.
Ejeagha’s passing marks the end of an era for Nigerian highlife music, but his legacy endures through his extensive discography and the impact he left on Igbo folklore and music.
Leave a Reply