Igbo Family History & Genealogy Records

Chief Pericoma Mezuo Okoye (born 1948) was a Nigerian singer, songwriter and traditionist. His first name 'Pericoma' could alternatively be spelled as 'Pericomo' 'Perry-Coma' and 'Perry-Koma'. He was predominantly known throughout the Igboland for his style of music and strong belief and practice of the traditional religion of the Igbo people, named Obeah. Okoye was born in Nigeria, specifically in Imo State, an eastern state occupied by the Igbo people of Nigeria. He was born in a community named Arondizuogu, a community that occupies three local government areas: Ideato North, Okigwe, and Onuimo

Pericoma Okoye Career

With His brand of music which he called 'Folk singing', which is actually rendering of igbo history orally with each sentence layered with meaning only to be understood by the wise, he held the igbos spell bound with every track.

Apart from music, Pericoma was featured in the film 'Lion Of Africa' with Pete Edochie and he was the traditional prime minister of the Arondizogu community in Imo state until his death.

Pericoma Okoye practised the African Tradition religion and when he was alive,  was as much a famous 'medicine man' as he was a musician and a lot of people in his community believed that he was a little god hence the name, 'Arusi Makaja' and he was feared mostly for the story of his encounter with transport workers (Agberos) who had allegedly demanded for his tax receipts and then proceeded to lift him on their shoulders intending to take him to his office but he had charmed them, remaining seated on their shoulders refusing to come down for hours until they pleaded and made sacrifices to his deity, This story curtailed the activities of the transport workers for a while.

Pericoma Okoye Personal Life

He died on February 16, 2017 in a hospital in Okigwe, after a brief illness and is survived by wives, children and grandchildren.