Nigerian folklore musician Mike Ejeagha, aka the Gentleman, is currently trending online after his 1980’s hit song ‘Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche’ (Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo), became the soundtrack of a popular social media dance challenge.
The ‘Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo’ dance trend which was started by Brain Jotter brought the 94 year old musician and guitarist back to the limelight.
If you’re wondering where the talented musician is now, you’ve come to the right place.
Here, we’ll cover his music career, biography, and how his 41-year-old hit song became a viral TikTok trend.
Mike Ejeagha Profile Summary
| Name | Mike Ejeagha |
| Stage Name | The Gentleman |
| Date of Birth | 4th of April 1930 |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| State of Origin | Enugu State |
| Profession | Singer, Songwriter, Folklorist, Guitarist |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Record Label | Premier Music Ltd, Polygram Label |
| Children | 10 |
Mike Ejeagha Biography
Mike Ejeagha is a multi-talented Nigerian guitarist, folklorist, singer and songwriter born on April 4th 1930 in Enugu state, Nigeria.
He is an indigene of Imezi Owa, Ezeagu Local Government of Enugu State.
Gentleman Mike Ejeagha became a person of interest on the internet in July 2024 when one of his songs became viral 41 years after its release.
Age
Born on the 4th of April 1930, Ejeagh is 94 years old as of 2024.
Music Career
The Gentleman’s music journey began when he was very young. He began singing with the Ogene group in elementary school.
The guitar became his favorite music instrument when he saw Moses Aduba aka Moscow, and Cyprian Uzochiawa play at Coal Camp in Enugu.
He learnt how to play the guitar from them and formed his own music band soon after perfecting his guitar-playing skills.
In 1950, Ejeagha formed his own band and released his first album titled ‘Omekagu’ with Polygram Records.
His music gained massive recognition in 1960- the same year Nigeria gained her independence.
According to Gentleman Mike, the late Atu Ona played an important role in his music success.
Atu Ona who was the controller of the Nigeria Broadcasting Service at the time, invited Mike to audition and later put him on a radio programme titled Guitar Playtime.
After playing on the radio for a while and producing his own musical programme, Gentleman Mike created an even bigger music group he called the Premier Dance Band.
Throughout his music career, he reportedly recorded 33 albums. The trending ‘Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche‘ which gained popularity because of Brain Jotter’s TikTok dance challenge was on one of his albums.
According to a Nigerian tiktoker, the igbo song is a folklore about the cunningness of the Tortoise and the strength of the Elephant in the animal kingdom.
The song blowing up in 2024 gives Gentleman Mike Ejeagha’s fans another chance to celebrate his music legacy while he is alive.
Also, Thanks to Brain Jotter, gen z highlife music lovers now know of Mike Ejeagha’s music and enjoy authentic Igbo folklore music.
How did Mike Ejeagha get his nickname, ‘The Gentleman’?
In a 2009 interview published on Last FM, Gentleman Mike Ejeagha explained that his nickname “Gentleman” was derived from his gentlemanly behaviour towards the people around him and the name stuck with him ever since.
How did the song become a Social Media Trend?
Popular Skit maker Chukwuebuka Emmanuel Amuzie popularly known as Brain Jotter started a dance challenge featuring the popular 1983 hit song, “Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche.”
The chorus ‘Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo’ became a global challenge in a few days. It garnered over 30 million views and emerged as one of Brain Jotter’s most engaging online challenges yet.
Popular actors, former Big Brother Nigeria housemates and even famous footballers have participated in the dance trend.
Following the popularity of the dance challenge, Nigerians urged Brain Jotter to pay respect to the musical Legend, Gentleman Mike.
Brain Jotter visited the musician’s home and presented the 94-year-old singer with 2 million Naira, appreciating him for his contributions to the music industry.
During the visit, Ejeagha’s son thanked Brain Jotter for making his father’s song trend again and thanked Nigerians for their support.
Expressing his gratitude, he said ‘Over thirty-something years that music was recorded but as God might have it, that brain jotter will be the one to make this song go viral and it will continue to go viral, God bless you’.
Where is he now?
Dockaysworld confirms that Mike Ejeagha currently lives humbly in Abakpa Nike in Enugu State with his aged wife and some members of his family.
Other Popular Songs by Mike Ezeagha include:
- Akanchawa
- Uwa Ngbede Ka Mma
- Elulube Lube
- Ezi Nwa Mgbeke.
- Enyi Ga Achi.
- Onye Uri Utaba.
- Ife Nji M’Ogo
- Atualu Omalu
- Ebini New Ude
- Mgba Enwude
