Mike Ejeagha, born on April 4th, 1930, is a folklorist, songwriter, and musician hailing from Enugu State.
His popular song “Ka esi le onye isi oche,” also known as “gwo gwo gwo ngwo” from 1983, remains timeless and is currently making a comeback on various social media platforms.
Legendary folk musician, Gentleman Mike Ejeagha, is currently receiving significant recognition for his song ‘Onye Ori Utaba’ even 41 years after its initial release.
The song, depicting the cunning Tortoise and the mighty Elephant in folklore, regained popularity when comedian Brain Jotter featured it in a recent video.
This video has amassed an impressive 29.1 million views and over 30,000 comments on Instagram, along with 19.6 million views and more than 23,000 comments on TikTok.
Prior to this resurgence, Ejeagha, now 91 years old, was lesser-known among younger audiences despite his talent for portraying Igbo folklore and tradition through his music.
The Lyrics;
- Gwo gwo gwo ngwo
- Ka ana kpo chairman
- Gwo gwo gwo ngwo x3
- Nna m Eze akpata m enyi x2
- Nwa mbe isi ni kpata onye?
- Asi m ani ya dube enyi chebe enyi
- Nwa mbe isi ni kpata onye?
- Asi m ani ya dube enyi chebe enyi
- Odi ka asi n’kpata m onye x2
- Akwa enyi ga abu isi oche x2
- Enyi n’aga na anyi so gi n’azu x2
The Story: The tale unfolds with the ever-cunning Mr. Tortoise as the central character.
Once, a king vowed that whoever could bring a large animal like an elephant to him alive could marry his daughter.
Unable to accomplish this feat, Mr. Tortoise proposed a clever solution to Elephant. By appointing Elephant as the chairman of the King’s event, they devised a plan together. Elephant agreed, and with Tortoise securely tied to him with a rope around his neck, they made their way to the venue.
Upon arrival, Tortoise dismounted, presented the elephant to the king, and won the hand of the king’s daughter.
This tale showcases the power of strategy over size – proving that Tortoise was small but mighty!
