By Greg Nwoko
His father was from Cameroonian and his mother a Nigerian. He was born in Abakaliki in 1950, but raised in Ikom, Cross River State.
During the Biafran war in 1967, Mbarga, aged 17, crossed the Nigerian border into Cameroon, where he learned and mastered the guitar.
With the money he did receive from “Sweet Mother,” Mbarga moved back to Ikom, built and managed the Sweet Mother Hotel – where he would perform every Sunday – and married a local girl, Esame, the daughter of the owner of the only petrol station in town.
The original band was back together for a 50-state tour of the U.S. and Mbarga was on his way to pick up visas.
His car ran out of fuel – a scandalously common occurrence in one of the world’s largest oil exporters – so he hopped on an okada (motorbike taxi) to complete the journey and, once in Calabar, was thrown off by a car.
In the hospital for two weeks, visited by his band members, his friends, his children and his first love Lucy – who held his hand as he drifted in and out of consciousness – he died with Esame at his side.
Back home in Ikom, his elderly mother fell down when she heard the news, and did not get back up. She died too shortly afterwards.
Nico Mbarga left behind a wife (Esame), a concubine (Lucy) and some children.
Now you know more
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