Theo Martey

Theo Martey, who also records as Emperor T-Jiga, was New Hampshire's Artist Laureate from 2022 to 2024. He has run more than 5,000 music workshops in New England and beyond.

Jamestown roots

Theophilus Nii Martei Martey was born on 11 December 1980 in Jamestown, Accra, one of 16 children of a military father. He was performing by age six, first with the African Personality Youth Ensemble and from 1989 with the Shidaa Cultural Troupe. At 17 he danced with the Dance Factory Company at the National Theatre, and at 18 he moved to the United States.

Akwaaba Ensemble and teaching

In 2002, while touring London with the Brekete Ensemble, he formed the Akwaaba Ensemble, a West African drum and dance group named after the Twi word for welcome. The group has two albums, Jei Elaaje Wo and Akwaaba Welcome Home. He became a US citizen in 2005, joined the New Hampshire arts education roster and has taught drumming and dance in schools backed by federal, regional and state arts grants. New Hampshire gave him its Governor's Arts Award for arts education in 2019.

Emperor T-Jiga

His singles include "Saka Saka", "Pretty Jeniki", "Yeloi", "Super Star" and "Kilode" (2021) with Young Freezy, which earned him the international collaboration prize at the Ghana Music Awards USA in 2022.