By Deborah Nnamdi
Veteran Nigerian highlife musician Mike Ejeagha has passed away at the age of 95 following a long illness. His death was confirmed on Saturday by his eldest son, Emmanuel Ejeagha.
According to Emmanuel, the music icon—affectionately known as “Gentleman, Mike Ejeagha”—died on Friday night around 8 p.m. at the 32 Garrison Military Hospital in Enugu.
“My father passed away due to a long-standing ailment,” he said.
Ejeagha’s legacy is marked by his distinctive style of Igbo folk music, which resonated across multiple generations.
Born on April 4, 1930, in Imezi Owa, in Ezeagu Council Area of Enugu State, Ejeagha rose to prominence during the 1960s and 1980s with timeless hits like Omekagu, Uwa Mgbede Ka Mma, and Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche – Gwogwogwom.
Ejeagha’s contributions to preserving and promoting Igbo culture through music are monumental, with over 300 recordings archived in the National Archives of Nigeria.
The “gwo gwo ngwo” crooner’s recent resurgence in popularity, sparked by the viral dance challenge of his 1983 track Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche in 2024, introduced his music to a younger audience.
Ejeagha’s passing marks the end of an era for Nigerian highlife music, but his legacy endures through his extensive discography and the impact he left on Igbo folklore and music.
The Enugu State government had last year named a newly commissioned road at Abakpa Nike in the Enugu metropolis after Mike Ejeagha to immortalize him.
