by Ian Keteku
Ian Keteku is a poet, musician and freelance journalist. Born as Ian Nana Yaw Adu Budu Keteku, his birth name is as unique as his diverse talents and interests.
His poetry and music are refreshing, and speak to a universal audience. Also known as “Emcee E”, Keteku refuses to be typical. He defines his poetry as ‘critical oratory’, feeling compelled to speak on the issues he feels are not thought about regularly. He loves to use his words to inspire messages of peace, action and critical thought. Keteku feels that using his voice to speak for the voiceless is an honourable calling that should never stop.
He has performed all over Canada, West and East Africa. In addition, he has performed his poetry for the Governor General of Canada, on two occasions.
In Ottawa, Keteku was a finalist in the CBC Poetry Faceoff and competed with the Calgary team in the recent National Spoken Word festival this past November in Calgary.
He has been featured in several publications, radio shows and television broadcasts. But his use of words to tell stories does not end there. As a freelancer, Keteku has written for the Ottawa Citizen, Calgary Herald, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and others.
Through video journalism, Keteku has produced stories for CBC Calgary, CJTV News and i-Channel, where he covered the victory of Barack Obama in Chicago.
He is currently editing a documentary about the plight of displaced villagers due to the creation of an animal reserve in northern Ghana.