Gentleman Mike Ejeagha, a pillar of Igbo folk and highlife music, recently died at the age of 95 after a battle with illness. Mike Ejeagha, popularly called ‘Gentleman’, was a prolific storyteller through his music.
His 1983 hit “Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche” (the tortoise‑and‑elephant fable) made the rounds last year after being resurrected by popular comedian Brianjotter, leading to the popular ‘Gwo Gwo Gwo’ dance challenge.
Mike Ejeagha’s Early Life
He was born on April 4, 1930, in Imezi Owa, Ezeagu LGA of Enugu State; he grew up in Coal Camp, Enugu. He developed a passion for traditional music early on, inspired by his mother (a folk dancer) and local street musicians.
Mike Ejeagha would go on to learn the guitar from Moses “Moscow” Aduba and Cyprian Uzochiawa in the late 1940s and form his band called Mike Ejeagha and the Merry‑Makers in 1950.
in 1952, he auditioned for the Nigerian Broadcasting Service (NBS) and started his popular radio show Guitar Playtime before going on to form the Premier Dance Band which held sway through the 1960s.
During and after the Nigerian Civil War between 1967 and 1970, he hosted Akuko n’egwu (story in music) on ESBS/NTA, weaving folklore and proverbs into his tunes.
Musical Legacy
He is known for Igbo-language storytelling, blending folk tales, idioms, and moral lessons into highlife melodies. He recorded over 300 songs archived in Nigeria’s National Archives and released 33+ albums in his lifetime.
Mike Ejeagha received renewed financial and moral support nationwide after his ‘Tortoise and Elephant’ tale came back into the mainstream in 2024 with Brain Jotter personally donating ₦2 million.
In 2024, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah renamed a road in Abakpa Nike Mike Ejeagha Road in honor of the custodian of Igbo oral tradition, a pioneering storyteller, and a cultural treasure whose music educated, entertained, and united people.
