The at ease, luminous recount that carried the coronary heart of Igbo folklore has gone silent. Highlife maestro, Gentleman Mike Ejeagha, has handed on on the age of 95, leaving within the aid of a legacy that will proceed to echo thru generations.
His son, Emma Ejeagha, confirmed that the appreciated musician breathed his final on Friday night on the 32 Garrison Sanatorium in Enugu, after combating a prolonged sickness.
Born on April 4, 1930, in Imezi Owa, Enugu Articulate, Mike Ejeagha’s title grew to alter into synonymous with storytelling thru song.
Over a profession spanning more than six an extended time, he transformed the panorama of highlife song, weaving Igbo proverbs and faded recordsdata into melodies that resonated with young and extinct alike.
Songs love Omekagu, Uwa Mgbede Ka Mma, and the unforgettable Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche acknowledged popularly by its catchy refrain ‘Gwo gwo gwo ngwo’ cemented his build as a cultural icon from the 1960s thru the Nineteen Eighties.
But his influence extended previous song charts. With more than 300 recordings preserved within the National Archives of Nigeria, Ejeagha played a in point of fact mighty role in safeguarding Igbo heritage for future generations.
In 1972, his recount reached an even wider target audience when he grew to turn correct into a guest presenter on the Nigerian Television Authority’s Igbo programme, Akuko N Egwu. It modified into one more platform thru which he reminded his other folks of their roots and values.
In most contemporary years, Ejeagha’s timeless song came upon new fans when the note ‘Gwo gwo gwo ngwo’ resurfaced on social media, in consequence of a viral field sparked by popular issue creator Mind Jotter. The track’s surprising resurgence proved that good art is aware of no age.
Recognising his sizable contribution to culture, the Enugu Articulate authorities honoured Ejeagha final year. Governor Peter Mbah no longer top renamed the illustrious Obinagu Road after him now acknowledged as Mike Ejeagha Road but additionally pledged to admire the getting older story.
The gesture came with the heartfelt message that Enugu would always celebrate its legends, no longer objective correct in sports activities, but in song and the humanities as effectively.
All over the commissioning ceremony, Governor Mbah paid exquisite tribute to Ejeagha, describing him as a one who had brought the spirit of Enugu and the richness of Igbo custom to lifestyles thru his songs.
Mike Ejeagha is survived by his partner, young other folks, and grandchildren. Gentleman Mike Ejeagha’s song will without end be in contact to the soul of the Igbo other folks, and certainly, to any individual who values the great thing about storytelling thru track.
