Highlife Legend and Igbo Folklorist Mike Ejeagha Passes Away at 95
Mike Ejeagha, a cultural icon and one of the most influential voices in Igbo highlife music, has died at the age of 95.
The renowned musician and storyteller passed away on Friday evening at approximately 8:00 p.m. at the 82 Division Military Hospital in Enugu, following a long battle with illness. His death was confirmed by his eldest son, Emma Ejeagha.
Ejeagha’s passing marks the end of a legendary era in Nigerian music history. Known affectionately as “Gentleman Mike,” he devoted over six decades to preserving and promoting Igbo oral tradition through music. His unique ability to blend melodic highlife with proverbs, parables, and folklore set him apart from his peers.
Born on April 4, 1930, in Imezi Owa, Enugu State, Ejeagha began his musical journey in the 1950s. By the 1970s, he had become a household name, not only for his music but also for his role as a storyteller on Akuko N’Egwu, an Igbo-language program on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). Through this platform, he brought ancestral wisdom into living rooms across the country.
His work found renewed popularity in 2024 when a line from his classic song ‘Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche’ was featured in a skit by comedian Brain Jotter. The viral video triggered the ‘Gwo Gwo Ngwo’ dance challenge on social media, sparking interest in Ejeagha’s deep discography among younger audiences.
In recognition of his lasting cultural contributions, the Enugu State Government renamed a major road in his honour in September 2024, transforming the former Obinagu Road in Abakpa Nike into Mike Ejeagha Road.
Ejeagha is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren. His influence continues to shape contemporary highlife and Afrocentric music, and his songs—rich in wisdom, humour, and cultural pride—remain a living archive of Igbo heritage.
As Nigeria remembers one of its finest musical minds, Mike Ejeagha’s voice echoes on—gentle, wise, and enduring.
