90-year-old musician Gentleman Mike Ejeagha is currently trending on social media platforms after his 1983 record ‘Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche’ was used by comedian and skit maker Brain Jotter in a viral video.
A bulk of the young social media users might not be familiar with Gentleman Mike Ejeagha beyond the “Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo” lyric of his now viral song.
Here is some information on the legendary Highlife musician whose music was very popular in South Eastern Nigerian.
According to his Wikipedia page, Gentleman Mike Ejeagha was born on August 1932. He hails from Imezi Owa, Eziagu Local Government of Enugu State.
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According to a 2009 interview by Gentleman Mike Ejeagha published on “Last FM,” the “Gentleman” appellation to his name was derived from his gentlemanly behaviour and treatment of others.
His journey into music started at a young age where he was part of an Ogene group during his elementary school days. He was drawn to the guitar when he saw Moses Aduba AKA Moscow and Cyprian Uzochiawa play the instrument at the Coal Camp in Enugu and he would learn from both them.
After perfecting his guitar playing skills, Gentleman Mike Ejeagha formed his band Mike Ejeagha and Merry-makers in 1950.
According to Gentleman Mike, his fame started growing after he was invited for an audition by the late Atu Ona, then Controller of the Nigerian Broadcasting Service (NBS) who would later give him the programme titled Guitar Playtime. This led him to play on the radio while also producing musical programmes before forming a bigger group titled Premier Dance Band.
His fame soared after the Nigerian Civil War when he recorded the album ‘Omekagu’ with Polygram Records then Phillips Records. According to Gentleman Mike, he was invited by the then Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS), now Enugu State Broadcasting Service ( ESBS) to be doing a programme titled Akuko n’egwu (story telling in music) on which he shqred a new folktale on a weekly basis.
Gentleman Mike Ejeagha is famous for his Igbo folk music with which he tells stories packed with social, cultural, historical, and moral relevance. His didactic music filled with idioms, proverbs, and folktakes would make him into one of the most popular Igbo folk & Highlife artist in Nigerian history.
He is reported to have recorded 33 albums with several classic records including the recently viral ‘Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche’ which is a folklore about the cunningness of the Tortoise and the strenght of the Elephant.
His impact in Igbo folklore music has been praised and his enduring legacy continues to shine. In a March 2023 article on Afrocritik, Chimezie Chika described Gentleman Mike Ejeagha as the “grandfather of mordern Igbo folk music”.
In 2022, there was reports of plans to make a biographical documentary on the life of Gentleman Mike Ejeagha Directed by Michael Chineme Ike and produced by Micstreams Productions. Following the recent virality of his song, fans have revived interest over the proposed documentary. However, the director Michael Chineme Ike revealed that the production suffered setbacks due to lack of funding.
The recent fame of his song ‘Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche’ is an opportunity to celebrate Gentleman Mike Ejeagha’s legacy and his impact on Igbo folk music across generations.
