Skip to main content
Skip to main content
Updated 10/17/2024

Theo Martey aka Emperor T-Jiga

  • N

    NH

Institution/Business Type: Artist / Creative (Individual)

THEOPHILUS NII MARTEY 
Director/Leader

Theo Nii Martey (also produces music as Emperor T-Jiga) is a talented artist who was born and raised in Accra, Ghana, West Africa. Theo is a Drummer, Dancer, Songwriter, Recording Artist, Producer, Performer, Teaching Artist, and Award recipient of the 2019 Governor’s Arts Award for Arts Education, and he was featured on New Hampshire Magazine who’s it for 2019 It list. Most recently Theo was featured in New Hampshire Magazine for Instruments of Peace for the 2022 February issue and was named the New Hampshire Artist Laureate for 2022-2024. His vibrant artist residencies give students an opportunity to experience hands-on West African drumming and a variety of dance styles. He has been on the Arts Council’s juried Arts Education Roster since 2005. Theo is an accomplished teacher of African drumming and dance and has receive numerous grants from the New England Foundation for the Arts, The National Endowment for the Arts, Massachusetts Cultural Council and New Hampshire State Council on the Arts to teach school residencies, workshops and performances in dozens of schools all over New England. He enjoys working in a variety of settings, with children and adults, making music, teaching rhythms and songs, and telling the stories behind the songs and the Ga’s tribe. Theo is the founder and leader of the Akwaaba Ensemble, which has performed concerts throughout NH, Northeastern US, Mexico and Canada since 2002. Each show brings West African drumming, music and dance to vivid life with rhythmic styles and patterns specific to tribal groups of West Africa. Theo and the Akwaaba Ensemble have recorded two albums including “AKWAABA WELCOME HOME” and “JEI ELAAJE WO (LOST IN THE WORLD)”.

He has collaborated with Randy Armstrong’s & Volker Nahrmann Beyond Borders world fusion Ensemble, Steve Ferraris’ Root System, Dan Perkins and the Manchester Choral Society for the Zulu Mass and Christmas Tapestry project and New Hampshire Theater Project for the Dreaming Again production and taught West African Drumming and Dance as an Adjunct Professor at UNH.  Theo’s work has contributed to international diversity and cultural understanding throughout NH and New England. Whether he is onstage performing or leading a workshop, Theo says that making people feel welcome, which happens to be the Twi language’s meaning of “Akwaaba,” is the goal of everything that he does. 

Find Me

Theo Martey
Job Title: Musician and Director
Phone: 603-264-5582
Fax: 978-788-5523
Address:
94 Ray Street
Manchester, NH 03104

Social Media:

About

Overview

Institution/Business Type:

Artist / Creative (Individual)

Legal Status:

Commercial / For profit - Sole proprietorship

Year Founded:

1995

Overview

Institution/Business Type:

Artist / Creative (Individual)

Legal Status:

Commercial / For profit - Sole proprietorship

Year Founded:

1995

Disciplines

Primary Discipline:

Multi-Disciplinary

Additional Disciplines:

  • Dance - Ethnic
  • Dance - Traditional
  • Music - Ethnic / World
  • Music - Traditional

Communities

Populations Engaged:

  • Adults
  • Businesses
  • Elders
  • Families
  • General Public
  • Immigrant Populations
  • Incarcerated (or Formerly Incarcerated) individuals
  • Native American Tribes
  • Nonprofits
  • People with Disabilities
  • School Groups
  • Teens
  • Youth-At-Risk
  • Artists

Languages Available:

  • English

Geographic Reach:

  • Town / City
  • County
  • Multi-County Region
  • State
  • Multi-State Region
  • National
  • International

Media Gallery

I Have Worked With

University of New Hampshire

Date: 12/2019-12/2019

Theo Martey and the Akwaaba Ensemble perform an energetic drumming and dancing performance for the Kwanzaa Celebration host by the Black Students Union at University of New Hampshire in Durham.  

Next Stage Arts Project

Date: 10/2019-10/2019

Theo Martey and the Akwaaba Ensemble perform a high enrgy Drumming, Dancing and Music performance at the Next Stage Arts Project at Putney Vermont. We had a warm and enthusiasm audience who were engaged through the whole an hour and half perfomance and they had the opportunity to join us on stage to participate in an easy dance steps and call and repond songs.

Amherst Street Elementary School

Date: 05/2019-05/2019

Theo Martey led a one week long Artist in Residency program at the Amherst  Street Elementary School in Nashua New Hapshire. The students learn about African Culture rhythms, dances and songs which they get to perform for the culmintating event for the whole school and their parents for the finale.

John Stark Regional High School

Date: 04/2019-04/2019

Theo Martey led a 2 day Artist in Residency program April 19-20 for 9th through 12th graders at the John Stark Regional High School to share his Culture, Music and story about his childhood growing up in Ghana ( West Africa)

Affiliations and Accomplishments

Professional Associations

Professional Associations:

  • Arts Alliance of Northern New Hapmshire
  • New Hampshire State Council on the Arts
  • New England Foundation for the Arts

Professional Associations

Professional Associations:

  • Arts Alliance of Northern New Hapmshire
  • New Hampshire State Council on the Arts
  • New England Foundation for the Arts

Awards

Awards:

  • New England Dance Fund Grantee/Alum Network 2017 and 2018
  • Theo Martey and The Akwaaba Ensemble won the Best of New Hampshire Magazine NH 2010 African Beat Award.
  • Theo Martey has receive numerous grants from the NH State Council on the Arts since 2004 to current, to run Artist in Residency programs in the schools and the community.
  • Theo Martey and The shidaa cultural group, placed second during the tradional folk music competition in Accra art center in March 1996.

Artist Info

Teaching Artist

Teaching Settings:

  • Afterschool Program
  • Arts and Cultural Center / Venue
  • Community Site / Center
  • Corporate Business
  • Healthcare Facility
  • Private Studio
  • School / University

Ages Served:

  • Pre-Kindergarten-age
  • Elementary School-age
  • Middle School-age
  • High School-age
  • College-age
  • Adults
  • Seniors

Subject Areas:

  • Arts Integration - English as a Second Language
  • Arts Integration - Foreign Languages
  • Arts Integration - Health
  • Dance
  • Music

Teaching Artist

Teaching Settings:

  • Afterschool Program
  • Arts and Cultural Center / Venue
  • Community Site / Center
  • Corporate Business
  • Healthcare Facility
  • Private Studio
  • School / University

Ages Served:

  • Pre-Kindergarten-age
  • Elementary School-age
  • Middle School-age
  • High School-age
  • College-age
  • Adults
  • Seniors

Subject Areas:

  • Arts Integration - English as a Second Language
  • Arts Integration - Foreign Languages
  • Arts Integration - Health
  • Dance
  • Music

State Arts Agency Roster Artist

  • New Hampshire Traditional Arts Roster
  • New Hampshire Education Roster

Touring Artist

NEST Eligible Artist

Technical Requirements:

  • 1 vocal mic and 2 intrument mics

Fee Range:

$700 - $5,000

State of Residence:

New Hampshire

Minimum Number of Performers:

1

Maximum Number of Performers:

6