With Brain Jotter, Old Song Finds New Life on Social Media

Tosin Clegg

From an innocent addition to a content creation by one of Nigeria’s finest comedians, Brain Jotter, the song, Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche by Gentleman Mike Ejeagha and his trio has undoubtedly become a nationwide sensation. It’s not the comedian first rodeo when it comes to using sounds or music for his content, but this particular one took an unexpected turn which journeyed into becoming viral, getting appraisals and also backlash.

But how really did this song become a viral sensation you may ask? Few weeks ago, the comedian used the sound on one of his videos and had leg works interpret the flow and vibration of the song. This short clip of less than 45 seconds has gone ahead to gather about 30 million views, almost a million likes and about 35,000 comments on his Instagram page.

Done with innocence, several Nigerians have gone ahead to replicate the leg work in company of the music in the background interpreting it into different meanings, expressions and definitions all for content purposes. 

Rarely would this song have had a place on the mainstream musical ecosystem, but whether by a stroke of luck or fortune it has brought an avoidable attention on the 91-year old artiste who composed the song.

Mike Ejeagha is a Nigerian musician and songwriter who hails from Enugu State and has been influential in the evolution of music sung in Igbo language for over six decades.

As he journeys to 92 next month, could we say life has brought him a second chance at fame and glory? This is because how do we explain a song which was released in 1983 as part of his album Akuko N’Egwu Vol. 1 becoming an internet sensation over 40 years later?

With the song and the dance steps everywhere, Brain Jotter felt it right to go and honour the nationwide celebrated veteran artiste, Ejeagha. At arrival at his home in company of his friends, fans and some colleagues he was welcomed with bright smiles, radiant faces and an uncontrollable leaps of joy by members of the Gentleman’s family and community.

Ejegba coming out to meet them was in an uncontainable state of tears which was contagious instantly as everyone could feel the emotions spilled into the room by the Gentleman. 

But sequel to his visit, some social media users had called out Brain Jotter for not wanting to give Ejeagha the full worth of his musical input in the video he made out of it. Reasonably some concerned persons have come out to defend Brain Jotter and clearly spelt out how things work when musical inputs are made on videos but what seemed to give this backlashes a footing was after he mentioned he would be giving out N2 million to Ejeagha.

But as fate would have it, his goodwill and decision to generously give the huge some of money was welcomed by many and he was graciously received in the home town of the Gentleman. 

How really do we define this kind of turn of events where a song of over 40 years would turn out to be viral sensation decades after its release becoming a source of inspiration to many musical talents. 

Just as the time bible says, “again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.”