Renowned Nigerian highlife musician, Mike Ejeagha, popularly called Gentleman Mike Ejeagha, is dead. He was aged 95.
He died Friday evening in an Enugu hospital after a protracted battle with an unnamed illness.
Ejeagha’s songs are unique because they are laced with Igbo folklore and proverbs, earning him a revered place in Nigeria’s cultural and musical history.
Mike Ejeagha was born on April 4, 1930, in Imezi Owa, Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
He began his musical journey at his young age, and earned his fame in the 1960s and 1980s with hits like Omekagu, Uwa Mgbede Ka Mma, and Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche.
His contributions to the preservation and promotion of Igbo culture through music were significant, with over 300 recordings archived in the National Archives of Nigeria.
Ejeagha enjoyed a musical rebirth in 2024 when his 1983 track, Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche, sparked a viral dance challenge on social media platforms, courtesy of skit maker Brian Jotter.
The renewed interest in his work introduced his music to a younger generation, reaffirming his status as a cultural icon. His death marks the end of an era for Nigerian highlife music.
The Enugu State government had last year named a newly commissioned road at Abakpa Nike in Enugu metropolis after Mike Ejeagha to immortalise him.
