When ‘Gentleman’ Mike Ejeagha released the classic song “Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche”, little did he know that the timeless piece would trigger a viral dance challenge that has taken social media by storm some forty years later.
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.
However, 41 years after the legendary Ejeagha now in his 90s released the hit track, it only took comedian Brain Jotter’s usage of the song in a dance move in one of his skits to add a viral spin to the piece of art.
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.
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.
As of Sunday, July 21st, 2024, Brain Jotter’s dance videos using the song have reached millions of views on TikTok.
The first video has 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.
Celebrities, priests, students, and social media influencers have joined the challenge.
The Super Falcons were spotted in an Instagram video from star player Asisat Oshoala making the dance moves when they arrived in Bordeaux, France for the 2024 Olympics.
Former Big Brother Naija housemate and actor, Tobi Bakre, also took to the dance challenge with his wife.
Other celebrities, Nollywood actors, dancers, comedians, entertainers, content creators have also jumped on the latest dance trend.
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.
Born in the early 1930s, Ejeagha hails from Owa in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The songwriter has a distinct style. His lyrics are didactic, often laced with Igbo proverbs accompanied by his acoustic guitar.
