He started playing for the radio and producing musical programmes. He went on to form a bigger group known as Premier Dance Band. His hit came in the year Nigeria got its independence. A folklore music, 'Ofu nwa anaa the only child is gone ' which was all about an only son who followed the father to the farm and was bitten by a snake and died.
The next was 'Okuko kwaa uche echegbuo onye ugwo when the cock crows the debtor becomes worried '. During the civil war, they disbanded as a result of the war situation and he started a new programme with Radio Nigeria entitled Igbo Play.
He left Enugu and moved over to Umuahia where he stayed till the end of the war all the while going round playing for soldiers. After the war, he recorded an album 'Omekagu' with Polygram Records when it was called Phillips. The album was a big success. He has released 33 albums and four singles. Ejeagha has contributed over three hundred recordings to the National Archives of Nigeria produced during his field work to investigate Igbo folklore highlife music.
In , he lost his first wife. He re-married in and has 10 children although one of them is dead. Writing reviews may help others know more about this person.
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Searching for Business Person Place. I have many children— 10 of them— but one of them died last year. When they left the country, another group took over the company. Civil war During the civil war, I disbanded my group and continued my programme with Radio Nigeria. The new programme was entitled Igbo Play. I had to disband the band because of the war situation, which made people think of survival than listening to music.
We left Enugu and moved over to Umuahia. I was there till the end of the war. But I was going round playing for soldiers. After the war in , I formed a new band in Being a guitarist Guitar is a very difficult musical instrument to handle. But if you have the love and the interest for playing it, you can do it.
All it requires is creating time for the training. My own style is different from the way young boys of nowadays play. I started before the age of I learnt it from Moscow and Cyprian. There was another person also who taught and learnt how to play it abroad. I continued playing and developed my own style. I usually add my personal feelings whenever I play. Some continue with the style of the guitarist who taught them.
It is because of the peculiarity of my style that most copycats find it very difficult to copy me. The fact is that somebody taught me but when I play, I create my own style. I have been able to sustain this for a long time because I do a lot of research in all I do.
Message After composing a song, I usually sing it and look at it all over again. Then whereever the moral lesson lies, I highlight it very well. This forms the theme and the message of my song. So many parents do not know how to bring up their kids very well. They feel that a child can take care of himself at a certain age. But this is not true.
It is better to continue counseling a child on what the world is all about. It is just a temporary place. You should know the type of friends you make. I use proverbs in my stories a lot. They give wisdom to those who listen. Inspiration I have a great love for music. It started from early childhood. I was told that my mother was a good singer. She used to be a great dancer who led the dancing group.
All these inspired me. Audience My audience are those who are interested in Igbo folktales, stories and music. In course of time, I added other styles to my stories such that they become danceable. So when I sing and tell stories, people nod their heads, while others sing along with me and move in a dignifying manner.
In fact, both the old and young dance to the sound. Kind of music When I started playing with Paradise Rhythm Orchestra, we were copying the music of other musicians. We played the music of Ghanaians, classical music. Around , I realised that some Nigerian musicians like Ebenezer Obey, Victor Uwaifo and others recorded in their own native dialect. This forced me start writing my own lyrics in Igbo language.
That was why I recorded in , a folklore music, Ofu nwa anaa the only child is gone. It is all about an only son who followed the father to the farm and was bitten by a snake and died. The next was Okuko kwaa uche echegbuo onye ugwo when the cock crows the debtor becomes worried. That I do not see why I cannot use my language to make an impact.
I can tell you that it really worked for me. This means story telling in music. And as I continue with this, people were telling me Gentleman you are trying, keep it up.
It was a very big success. In the programme, I must give a new folktale on a weekly basis. This added to the authenticity of the stories since the listeners always felt as if they were at the scene. The sound of nature as the story went on really made the listeners believe the story.
I can tell you that this really endeared it to people. It is the story of two brothers. Their father, the king of the land loves the younger one very well. His first son is peculiar in his own way, but the king does not like him. His intention is to bequeath the throne to Omekagu, so that he becomes king whenever he dies. But the tradition is that the first son should succeed the late king. The elders warned him against this, but he would not listen.
His bid to accomplish this failed thus comforming with the proverb that it is nature that wards off flies for a cow without a tail. Omekagu was prepared by the king so that he rides on a Horse round the town and proclaim that the throne belongs to him when the king dies.
As he was going round, his elder brother being a flutist blew a sound of lamentation. Omekagu fell from the horse and became unconscious. Words got to the king and he summoned the elders.
They reminded him of their warning that he was being unfair with the first son. They advised him that the only solution for him is to tender an apology to his first son. He did and he blew his flute again, Omekagu rose up.
Story teller This is basically as a folklorist. It is a question of devoting my time and I can say that I have really devoted my time to telling stories.
To tell good stories I try to listen to people when they talk or tell stories. Story telling is my life.
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