Julius Okorie
The saying that a good product markets itself if not now then certainly in the future, came to the fore as old song released by highlife maestro Mike Ejeagha resurfaced and trended on social media at the weekend.
“Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche” a song released in 1983 by the Nonagenarian began to trend after skit maker; Brain Jotter used it in one of his videos, creating a catchy dance move that synchronises with the music.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe new dance with Mike Ejeagha touch soon accumulated 659,000 likes on Instagram and an impressive 11 million views and still counting on TikTok on Sunday July 21, 2024.
Its popularity has transcended borders, with the song being used in content from Nigeria to Asian countries.
The viral sensation has prompted content creators to pay homage to Mike Ejeagha, with one Tiktoker, @anyigoldtv, presenting him with an envelope containing money and sharing the achievement of his new song.
Released in 1983 from the Akuko Na Egwu album, Vol 1, the song rendered in the Igbo language tells the story of a crafty tortoise who took an elephant to his in-law, exchanging it for a princess it wanted to marry.
In the dance move, the comedian Chukwuebuka Emmanuel Amuzie chases his friend to portray how the elephant ran after the tortoise upon discovering it was deceived.
The “Gwo gwo gwo ngwo” captured in the song showed the thumping sound of the elephant’s leg while chasing after his friend, the tortoise
In the dance move, two people in opposing directions facing each other meet at a point. Here, they engage in a funny leg dance before one of them chases after the other after which the “Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo” part of the chorus echoes in the background.
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Since Brain Jotter’s adoption, many have started using the track in the viral dance challenge, giving the folklore-style artiste’s song a fresh spin.
The dance challenge has become a trend on social media, especially TikTok, garnering millions of views as netizens latched onto the viral “Onye Isi Oche” song
The first video has reportedly garnered 11.4 million views, while the second video has accumulated 16.6 million views on the comedian’s page, all within about one week of posting. This trend is also reflected on his Instagram page.
Even Super Falcons who are set to open their campaign against Brazil on Friday in this year’s Olympics have caught the bug with six time African footballer of the year Asisat Oshoala making the dance moves after the team touched town in Bordeaux, France.
It is fair to predict that the probability of a goal scorer for the team may attempt the dance as the Randy Waldrum side faces Brazil, Spain and Japan in their group
Nothing Can Be More Rewarding Than Evergreen Tunes
Although the singer and his family have yet to comment on the social media sensation inspired by Ejeagha, many netizens are rallying to reward the legendary folklorist. Brain Jotter is reported to have asked for the singer’s whereabouts for a N2m cash reward. One of the unique aspect of Mike Ejeagha’s music is his ability to tell stories in the course of his music and most times you are not only interested in following the beat but also the story line.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
