Nigerian skit maker, Brain Jotter, on Monday paid a visit to legendary highlife singer Mike ‘Gentleman’ Ejeagha.
This visit comes after Brain Jotter’s viral dance moves to Ejeagha’s iconic song “Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche,” gained widespread popularity.
The dance routine involves a series of lively steps, including facing opposite directions, walking towards each other, performing a comical leg dance, and finally, chase each other to the catchy chorus of “Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo”.
Ejeagha, now 93, has seen his song, which tells the story of a cunning tortoise outsmarting an elephant, resonate with a new generation, bringing renewed attention to Nigerian folklore and Igbo culture.
The song, part of the Akuko Na Egwu album, Vol. 1, narrates how a clever tortoise tricked an elephant to win a princess’s hand in marriage.
The princess had declined numerous proposals until her father, the king, enquired as to why. She informed him that she was in search of a groom who would present her with an elephant. Next, the tortoise tricked the elephant by pretending to be the chairman of a ceremony. However, the cunning tortoise—a common figure in Igbo mythology—only succeeded in tricking his friend, which infuriated the giant.
Brain Jotter’s initial Instagram clip of the dance, shared on July 5, garnered nearly one million likes by July 21.
Similar videos on TikTok have been viewed massively, with over a thousand recreations and many Nigerians, including celebrities, joining in.Brain Jotter on Monday shared a photo with the highlife legend where he was seated beside Mike Ejeagha with his hand across his shoulder, on Instagram, expressing his joy over the meeting and hinting at a forthcoming story.
He captioned the photo, , “So happy I did this. Story coming soon.”
Watch the video of his visit here