Mike Ejeagha, a veteran highlife musician and folklorist has passed away at the age of 95 after a prolonged battle with prostate cancer.
As earlier reported by eelive.ng, the revered Igbo music icon died on Friday night at the 32 Garrison Hospital in Enugu.
His death was confirmed by his eldest son, Emma Ejeagha, during a telephone interview with Vanguard on Saturday.
“Papa died at exactly 8 p.m. on Friday, and his body has been deposited in the morgue. I was with him during his final moments. I will meet with my family in the morning to break the news to them,” Emma said.
He added that Ejeagha had long prepared the family for this moment, instructing that his body should not be embalmed or kept too long in the morgue.
Describing his father as “a peace-loving man and a genius,” Emma noted that the highlife legend had battled prostate cancer since 2006, enduring multiple hospitalisations over the years.
His condition worsened two weeks ago, and although he was briefly stabilised and discharged, he was rushed back to the hospital last Tuesday, where he eventually died.
Ejeagha, celebrated for blending Igbo folklore and proverbs into timeless music, began his music career in the mid-20th century and has been influential in the evolution of music in the Igbo language for over 6 decades. His first hit was in 1960 – the year of Nigeria’s independence.
He was a prominent figure on Nigerian radio in the 1980s, captivating audiences across generations with his distinctive style.
Aside from being a great guitarist, Ejeagha is described as a distinct storyteller known for his ability to tell popular Igbo stories and folklore using his music.
He has contributed over three hundred recordings to the National Archives of Nigeria produced during his fieldwork to investigate Igbo folklore highlife music.
Some of his other songs include ‘Onye Ori Utaba’, ‘Enyi Ga Achi’, ‘Uwa Ngbede Ka Mma’, ‘Anyi Fulu Ozu Ene’, ‘Atualu Omalu’, ‘Elulube Lube’, ‘Onye Ndidi N’Eli Azu Ukpo’, ‘Udo Ka Nma’ and ‘Agbata Obi Onye Bu Nwanne Ya’.
Ejeagha is considered one of the pioneers of the highlife genre in Nigeria.
