Nigeria has lost one of its most iconic and culturally significant musicians. Mike Ejeagha, the revered Highlife musician and folklorist who turned Igbo proverbs and moral tales into timeless melodies, has died at the age of 95. He passed away on Friday evening around 8 p.m. at the 32 Garrison Hospital in Enugu, following a prolonged illness.
His son, Emma Ejeagha, confirmed the news to Vanguard, bringing to an end the remarkable life of a man who not only shaped Highlife music in Nigeria but also preserved and promoted Igbo language and oral tradition for over half a century.
Though his voice may now be silent, the echoes of Mike Ejeagha’s songs will forever ring through the hearts of Nigerians who grew up with his music, learned life lessons from his stories, and found cultural identity in his lyrics.
A Cultural Custodian Born of the East
Born in 1930 in Imezi Owa, Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, Chief Mike Ejeagha came of age during a defining moment in Nigeria’s journey toward independence. At a time when modernity threatened to drown out indigenous traditions, he made a conscious choice to root his music in his people’s cultural fabric.
Rather than chase the glamour of Western-style pop or follow mainstream trends, Ejeagha chose to delve deep into the essence of Igbo folklore. He became a medium through which ancestral wisdom flowed into modern consciousness — making the old new again, making the rural global, and turning the local into national pride.
He often referred to himself as an “akuko n’egwu” — a phrase meaning “story and song” in Igbo — perfectly describing his musical identity.
Music With Meaning: A Voice of Wisdom
Ejeagha was not simply a musician. He was a philosopher whose guitar strings carried the burdens and dreams of ordinary people. Through his songs, he dissected the human condition with humor, compassion, and moral clarity.
His lyrics were crafted with a masterful touch, rich with Igbo idioms, parables, and folk wisdom. In his hands, Highlife music became not just danceable art, but a classroom for teaching values, interrogating ethics, and confronting social behavior.
Tracks like Uwa Mgbede, Omekagu, Akuko Na Egwu, and Nwoke Bu Ife became moral guideposts in the lives of listeners, offering insights into human nature, justice, responsibility, and humility.
In “Ikpechakwa Nkegi,” for example, Ejeagha delivers a scathing critique of arrogance, using metaphor and storytelling to lay bare the folly of pride. In another hit, Enyi Ga Achi, he weaves a tale around the elephant as a symbol of power, betrayal, and consequence.
His genius lay not only in the music but in the messages it conveyed — messages that are still relevant today.
The Power of Language
In an era when many Nigerian artists sought to widen their reach by performing in English or Pidgin, Mike Ejeagha remained firmly rooted in his mother tongue. His decision to record all his songs in Igbo was not just an artistic preference but a cultural stance.
“I want to preserve our language. I want to make people proud to speak it,” he once said in an interview.
By doing so, he ensured that the Igbo language remained alive in popular consciousness. He turned proverbs once confined to elders’ gatherings into musical mantras sung by children and adults alike. Linguists and cultural scholars have referenced his work in academic studies, and his songs have become important teaching tools for students of Igbo language and culture.
He was, in every sense, a guardian of identity — a man who reminded his people who they were, even as the world around them changed rapidly.
The Radio Years: Taking Stories to the Masses
Mike Ejeagha’s influence expanded significantly through radio — the most powerful mass medium of the 1980s. His radio program Akuko N’Egwu aired across Eastern Nigeria, captivating audiences with its mix of traditional storytelling and Highlife music.
Listeners tuned in not only for entertainment but to be schooled in life’s lessons. He gave voice to rural concerns, addressed taboo subjects with tact, and created relatable characters that mirrored society.
The radio show was more than a program — it was a cultural ritual that connected generations.
“He was like our own Aesop,” said Nneka Udeh, a longtime fan and teacher. “Only, his fables had soundtracks.”
Struggles and Silent Years
In his later years, Ejeagha lived quietly in Enugu, away from the limelight he once dominated. He suffered from age-related illnesses, including partial paralysis and loss of sight. Though he never complained publicly, many close to him expressed concern over the lack of adequate recognition and support from government and industry stakeholders.
In 2020, a viral video showed the ailing musician bedridden, triggering a wave of sympathy and a renewed call for honoring living legends before it’s too late. Some state and federal officials reportedly reached out, but the moment highlighted the larger issue of how Nigeria treats its cultural icons.
Tributes from Across Nigeria
News of Mike Ejeagha’s passing has sparked an outpouring of tributes across social media, airwaves, and community forums. The Ohanaeze Ndigbo described him as “an irreplaceable cultural ambassador whose music taught a nation what textbooks could not.”
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, in a statement, praised the late maestro for “embedding Igbo philosophy and pride into music, and for making wisdom melodious.”
Nigerian musicians from the newer generation have also expressed deep respect. Highlife star Flavour, who often infuses traditional themes into his music, called Ejeagha “the heartbeat of Igbo music and an inspiration to us all.”
The Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN) described him as “a mentor and master who made storytelling an art form.”
A Legacy That Lives On
Mike Ejeagha’s music will not die with him. It is embedded in Nigeria’s cultural DNA. His voice continues to teach through YouTube uploads, digital streaming platforms, and archival recordings used in classrooms and research.
His catalog — which includes hundreds of recorded songs and several unreleased pieces — is a treasure trove of indigenous philosophy and African aesthetics.
Efforts are now underway by cultural organizations and academic institutions to digitize and preserve his complete works. The Enugu State Ministry of Culture has announced plans to establish a Mike Ejeagha Centre for Indigenous Music, where future generations can study and celebrate his legacy.
In Igbo tradition, death is not seen as the end but as a return — a journey to the ancestral realm. As Mike Ejeagha joins the pantheon of cultural ancestors, his legacy remains solid, his teachings immortal, and his music eternal.
He taught us to think, to feel, to remember — all through a six-string guitar and a storyteller’s voice.
May he rest in perfect peace.
As the Igbo would say: "Ejeagha anaghi anwu; egwu ya ka ga ebi."
(Mike Ejeagha does not die; his music shall live on.)
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