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Theo Martey

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Emperor T-Jiga
Birth nameTheophilus Nii Martei Martey
Also known asEmperor T-Jiga
Born (1980-12-11) December 11, 1980 (age 43)
Jamestown Accra, Ghana, West Africa
GenresAfrobeat, Afropop, Reggae, Highlife, Hiplife, Hip Hop, World music
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, drummer, dancer, music teacher, music producer
Instrument(s)Xylophone/Balafon
Aslatua/Kashak]
Gome
Kpanlogo Drum
Djembe
Talking Drum
Years active1986–present
LabelsBam Connect Entertainment
Martey Records
Martey Music Production (MMP)
Websiteakwaabaensemble.com

Theophilus Nii Martei "Theo" Martey (born December 11, 1980), also known professionally as Emperor T-Jiga, is a Ghanaian-American singer-songwriter, drummer, dancer, music teacher, and music producer. Martey has led over 5000 music workshops throughout New England and Beyond.[1] As Emperor T-Jiga, he has released singles such as "Saka Saka," "Pretty Jeniki," "Kilode," "Yeloi," You're My Baby,""Sugar and "Super Star."[2][3][4] He has received one Ghana Music Award USA for Best International Collaboration and three additional Ghana Music Award USA nominations.[2][3][4]

Martey is also the founder and band leader of the world music ensemble Akwaaba Ensemble, which has released two albums, Akwaaba Welcome Home and Jei Elaaje Wo.

He served as New Hampshire Artist Laureate from 2022 to 2024.[5][6][7]

Early life

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Martey was born in Jamestown Accra, Ghana, into a family of 16 children with a father who served in the military in Ghana.[8][9] Martey began performing at the age of 6.[10] He initially performed with the African Personality Youth Ensemble before joining the Shidaa Cultural Troupe in 1989.[11] At the age of 17, he began performing with the Dance Factory Company at the National Theater of Ghana.[10][11] He moved to the United States when he was 18 years old.[8]

Career

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Martey founded the Akwaaba Traditional African Drum and Dance Ensemble in 2002.[10][8][12] He formed the group while he was touring with the Brekete Ensemble in London.[12] He named the ensemble after the Twi word for "welcome."[8][13]

Martey became an American citizen in 2005.[14] In the same year, he was appointed to the New Hampshire Art Council's Arts Education Roster.[14] In addition to his work as a performer, Martey began teaching West African drumming and dance at schools.[7] He received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New England Foundation for the Arts, and the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts to teach at schools throughout New England.[6]

Martey and the Akwaaba Ensemble performed at the American Folk Festival in Maine in 2012.[12]

In 2015, Martey and the Akwaaba Ensemble performed as part of WHS's Culture Matters program.[15] For his work as a music teacher, Martey received the Governor's Arts Award for Arts Education from the New Hampshire government in 2019.[13][16] Martey and The Akwaaba Ensemble received The New Hampshire Magazine Best of NH 2010 and 2022 Edited Pick for African Beat Akwaaba Ensemble.[17][18]

Martey released the single "Kilode," which featured Young Freezy/Cabrinny, under the name Emperor T-Jiga in 2021.[2] He went on to win the award for Best International Collaboration at the 2022 Ghana Music Awards USA for this song.[2][19] The song was also nominated for the US-Based Afropop Song of the Year award at the same event.[2]

Martey was named New Hampshire Artist Laureate in 2022.[20] As Emperor T-Jiga, he also released the song "Yeloi," which was nominated for Best Music Video of the Year award at the 2023 Ghana Music Awards USA.[3][21]

Martey and the Akwaaba Ensemble were among the first artists to perform at the Nashua Center for the Arts after its opening in 2023.[22] He released the single "Sugar" in 2023.[23] The single was nominated for the Afropop/Afrobeat Song of the Year award at the 2024 Ghana Music Awards USA.[4][24]

Martey performed for the 41st and 42nd Somersworth International Children's Festivals in 2023 and 2024.[25][26] In 2024, Martey and the Akwaaba Ensemble also performed at the Derryfield School in Manchester, New Hampshire in celebration of Black History Month.[8]

Martey has collaborated with artists such as Randy Armstrong, Steve Ferraris, Dan Perkins and the Manchester Choral Society.[10] He also performed with the New Hampshire Theatre Project for the "Dreaming Again" production.[27]

Personal life

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Martey is married to  Katy Easterly Martey.[28] They have two children, Theo Korley and Sarafina.[28]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Award/Event Year Category Nominated work Result
Governor's Arts Awards 2019 Arts Education Theo Martey Won[13][16]
Best International Collaboration 2022 Ghana Music Awards USA "Kilode (feat. Young Freezy)" Won[2][19]
US-Based Afropop Song of the Year 2022 Ghana Music Awards USA "Kilode (feat. Young Freezy)" Nominated[2]
Best Music Video of the Year 2023 Ghana Music Awards USA "Yeloi" Nominated[3][21]
Afropop/Afrobeat Song of the Year 2024 Ghana Music Awards USA "Sugar" Nominated[4][24]

Discography

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Albums (with Akwaaba Ensemble)

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Title Released Label
Akwaaba Welcome Home 2008[12] Martey Records
Jei Elaaje Wo 2012[29][12] Martey Records

Singles

[edit]
Title Year Album
"Pretty Jeniki" 2020 Non-album single
"Saka Saka (feat. Kotey Another" 2020 Non-album single
"Kilode (feat. Young Freezy/Cabrinny)"[2][19] 2021 Non-album single
"Yeloi (feat. Kotey Another and Nii Funny)"[3][21] 2021 Non-album single
"You're My Baby" 2022 Non-album single
"Sugar"[23] 2023 Non-album single
"Super Star (feat. Keddi Gh and Cabrinny) 2024 Non-album single

References

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  1. ^ WMUR-TV (2022-07-01). Thursday, June 30th: Theo Martey, drummer, dancer, teacher and more. Retrieved 2024-08-06 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Ghana Music Awards USA 2022: All the winners". Music In Africa. 2022-08-22. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Full list of Nominations for 2023 Ghana Music Awards USA! | Ghana Music". 2023-04-18. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  4. ^ a b c d "Emperor T-Jiga's bags nomination at 2024 Ghana Music Award-USA". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 2024-04-25. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  5. ^ "NH Arts - Artist Laureate". www.nh.gov. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  6. ^ a b "NH Artist Laureate - past and present". UnionLeader.com. 2024-06-20. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  7. ^ a b "Drummer, dancer, teacher and more". WMUR. 2022-07-01. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Akwaaba Ensemble shares music, culture with New Hampshire students". WMUR. 2024-02-16. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  9. ^ "Drummer, educator Theo Martey named NH Artist Laureate". AP News. 2022-04-20. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  10. ^ a b c d "Instruments of Peace". New Hampshire Magazine. 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  11. ^ a b "New Hampshire's Ninth Artist Laureate - Theophilus Nii Martey (Musician, Dancer, Drummer)". nh.gov. April 20, 2022.
  12. ^ a b c d e "Akwaaba: Ghanian Dance". Bangor Daily News. 2012-08-20. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  13. ^ a b c "Little White Church to present Akwaaba African Drum & Dance Ensemble July 24". The Conway Daily Sun. 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  14. ^ a b "New Hampshire State Council on the Arts". www.nh.gov. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  15. ^ Sullivan, Max. "Akwaaba Ensemble brings African dance to WHS". Portsmouth Herald. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  16. ^ a b "2019 It List". New Hampshire Magazine. 2019-11-15. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  17. ^ "Best of New Hampshire 2010". New Hampshire Magazine. 2010-07-01. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  18. ^ "Best of NH 2022 Arts & Culture". New Hampshire Magazine. 2022-06-20.
  19. ^ a b c "Emperor T-Jiga - KILODE took home the US Based International Collaboration of the year for the GMA-USA 2022". Anansesem media. 2022-08-31. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  20. ^ "Drummer, educator Theo Martey named NH Artist Laureate". wcax. 2022-04-20. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  21. ^ a b c "Black Sherif, Stonebwoy, Piesie Esther, Shatta Wale, Sarkodie, Camidoh, and Kidi to battle it out at Ghana Music Awards USA | 3News". 2023-04-20. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  22. ^ "Nashua gets a new performing arts center after decades of planning - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  23. ^ a b "Emperor T-Jiga's new single 'Sugar' draws inspiration from Osibisa and Fela Kuti". GhanaWeb. December 11, 2023.
  24. ^ a b "GMA-USA nominates Emperor T-Jiga's "Sugar" for Afropop/ Afrobeat Song of the Year". 2024-04-25. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  25. ^ "Somersworth to celebrate 41st International Children's Festival: What to expect". Foster's Daily Democrat. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  26. ^ "Somersworth ready for 2024 International Children's Festival: What to know before you go". Foster's Daily Democrat. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  27. ^ "New Hampshire Theatre Project presents 'Dreaming Again'". Seacoastonline. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  28. ^ a b "Katy Easterly Martey". UnionLeader.com. 2020-01-27. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  29. ^ Jei Elaaje Wo (Lost in the World) - Theo Marte... | AllMusic, retrieved 2024-08-06
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