Veteran musician Gentleman Mike Ejeagha, 90, is currently trending on social media following the use of his 1983 record ‘Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche’ in a viral video created by comedian and skit creator Brain Jotter.
Beyond the “Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo” line from his now-viral song, Gentleman Mike Ejeagha may not be well-known to the majority of young social media users.
Here are some details about the renowned Highlife artist, whose songs were hugely popular in Southeast Nigeria.
August 1932 is the birth month listed on Gentleman Mike Ejeagha’s Wikipedia page. His hometown is Imezi Owa in the Enugu State local government of Eziagu.
In a 2009 interview that aired on “Last FM,” Gentleman Mike Ejeagha stated that his name’s “gentleman” moniker came from the way he treated and behaved with people.
He began his musical journey at an early age, participating in an Ogene group while in primary school. He became interested in the guitar after witnessing Moses Aduba, also known as Moscow, and Cyprian Uzochiawa perform at the Coal Camp in Enugu. He decided to study under both of them.
Gentleman Mike Ejeagha started his band Mike Ejeagha and Merry-makers in 1950 after honing his guitar technique.
Gentleman Mike claims that his popularity began to take off after he received an audition invitation from the late Atu Ona, the Nigerian Broadcasting Service (NBS) Controller at the time, who would go on to assign him the Guitar Playtime programme. As a result, he started making songs and performing on the radio before starting a larger ensemble called Premier Dance Band.
When he recorded the album “Omekagu” with Polygram Records and later Phillips Records following the Nigerian Civil War, his popularity nskyrocketed. 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 shared a new folktale on a weekly basis.
Gentleman Famed for his Igbo folk music, Mike Ejeagha narrates stories that are morally, socially, culturally, and historically significant. His didactic music filled with idioms, proverbs, and folktales would make him one of the most popular Igbo folk & highlife artists in Nigerian history.
Gentleman Mike Ejeagha’s song “Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche” has gained popularity recently, providing a chance to honour his legacy and the generations-long influence he had on Igbo folk music.
