Veteran Nigerian highlife musician, Mike Ejeagha, popularly known as “Gentleman Mike Ejeagha,” has passed away at the age of 95.
His eldest son, Emma, confirmed the news on Saturday, stating that the music icon died around 8 p.m. on Friday at the 32 Garrison Hospital in Enugu after a prolonged illness.
“My father passed away due to a long-standing ailment,” Emma said.
Born on April 4, 1930, in Imezi Owa, Enugu State, Ejeagha rose to fame between the 1960s and 1980s with iconic Igbo folk songs like Omekagu, Uwa Mgbede Ka Mma, and Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche (Gwogwogwongwo).
His unique style of storytelling through music helped preserve and promote Igbo culture, with over 300 of his works archived in the National Archives of Nigeria. In 2024, his 1983 song Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche went viral through a popular dance challenge, introducing his music to a new generation.
Ejeagha’s death marks the end of an era, but his legacy lives on in his music and the cultural heritage he so passionately upheld.
