A popular Nigerian highlife musician, Mike Ejeagha, has died at the age of 95.
Popularly known as “Gentleman Mike Ejeagha,” the music legend died on Friday night.
The musician’s eldest son, Emma, who confirmed his passing on Saturday to journalists in Enugu said he died on Friday evening at approximately 8 p.m. at the 32 Garrison Hospital in Enugu after a prolonged illness.
“My father passed away due to a long-standing ailment,” said Emma.
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, 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 (Gwogwogwongwo).
Ejeagha’s contributions to preserving and promoting Igbo culture through music are monumental, with over 300 recordings archived in the National Archives of Nigeria.
His 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.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has reacted to the passing of veteran highlife musician and folklorist Mike Ejeagha, extending his heartfelt condolences to the late artist’s family, friends, and countless admirers.
In a statement released on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President described Ejeagha as “one of Nigeria’s greatest folklorists, songwriters, and musicians in the Igbo language.”
President Tinubu hailed Ejeagha for his contributions to the preservation and promotion of Igbo traditions through music, saying the artist’s unique storytelling style inspired generations and upheld cultural heritage.
“May the spirit and values of Gentleman Mike Ejeagha’s music continue to remind us that music has the power to revive, heal and redirect energy towards worthy causes that help build our nation,” the President stated.
Punch/Olaolu Fawole
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