Drama, laughter as celebs join ‘Gwo Gwo Ngwo’ challenge

When veteran musician, Mike Ejeagha, released his classic hit song titled, ‘Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche’ in 1983, he could hardly have anticipated that over four decades later, the song would ignite a viral dance challenge.

The track, which is on the ‘Akuko Na Egwu’ album, tells an Igbo folklore about a tortoise who deceived an elephant and gave it to his in-laws in exchange for a princess he wanted to marry.

The song’s catchy ‘Gwo gwo gwo ngwo’ chorus, mimics the thundering steps of the elephant who ran after the tortoise after finding out that he was deceived.

In recent times, the song has been transformed into a social media sensation, thanks to comedian, Chukwuebuka Amuzie, popularly known as Brain Jotter.

In his viral skit, Brain Jotter reenacts the tale by chasing his friend, embodying the elephant’s frustration, and creating a humorous dance sequence. This fresh interpretation sparked a viral dance challenge on TikTok and Instagram.

Since it was posted on July 21, 2024, Brain Jotter’s videos have amassed staggering views of 11.4 million and 16.6 million respectively.

Celebrities who have recreated the dance challenge include the Super Falcon’s star player, Asisat Oshoala, who posted a video of her making the dance moves when the team arrived in Bordeaux, France, for the 2024 Olympics.

A former Big Brother Naija housemate and actor, Tobi Bakre, also took part in the challenge with his wife.

Others who have ‘jumped’ on the challenge include Kanayo Kanayo, Alex Ekubo, Chizzy Alichi, Nosa Rex, Etinosa Idemudia, and Maryam Apaokagi, aka Taaooma, among others.

Though some people criticised Brain Jotter for making money from the song and not appreciating the singer, the comedian visited the veteran musician during the week and stated that he did not make money from the challenge on social media platforms, because of copyright issues.