Highlife singer and legend of the “Gwo Gwo Gwo fame, Mike Ejeagha is dead at 95.
Eldest son of the musician, Emma Ejeagha, confirmed his death to Vanguard News on Friday night. He passed away during a prolonged illness in Enugu, Enugu State.
According to reports, known for transforming Igbo folklore and proverbs into captivating music, Ejeagha died at about 8pm on Friday.
He was said to have died at the 32 Garrison Hospital in Enugu, owned by the Nigerian Army.
Mike Ejeagha hails from Imezi Owa, Ezeagu, local government of Enugu State. He was born in 1930 in Enugu, Nigeria. His passion for music started at a young age when he played the ogene with his friend. In 1945, he joined the renowned Coal Camp Boys, a local music group. After completing his elementary education in 1948, he continued to pursue his passion for music. During the Christmas celebrations, his music would engage in friendly competition with other prominent groups, including the Ogui Group and Dodokido Group.
In 1949, he began apprenticing with a barber and musician friend, Cyprain Ozochiawa, at the age of 20, to learn the art of hairdressing. During his apprenticeship, he also learnt how to play the guitar in his spare time from Cyprain Ozochiawa and Moscow. Ejeagha was always interested in music and was a chorister. He followed musicians around any time when he saw them performing.
1950 proved to be a breakthrough year when he was called by Joseph Ogbu to join his band as a guitarist, which he received payment for at the end of each performance. This opportunity did not only hone his musical skill but also enabled him to acquire his own musical instruments, ultimately inspiring him to start his own band known as Mike Ejeagha and the Merrymakers. His talent soon caught the attention of the Atu Ona, controller of the Nigerian Broadcasting Service, who extended an invitation for an audition. Impressed by his skill, Atu Ona offered him a radio program titled ‘Guitar Playtime’. This marked the beginning of his broadcasting career, as he began performing on radio and producing engaging musical programs. Also during this time he formed a bigger music group called Premier Dance Band.
