Ciudad Juárez, Mexico — June 2025. Ghana just shook the globe not with drums, not with jollof (this time), but with words. Slam poetry words. Rhythmic, revolutionary, and roaring with purpose. King Yaw, known offstage as Yaw Osafo Kantanka Kyeremateng, has emerged the World Poetry Slam Champion, lifting the crown high for Ghana, Africa, and every poet who has ever dared to spit truth with a heartbeat.
But before we scream “ɔmo yɛ wild!”, let’s rewind.
The World Poetry Slam Championship (WPSC) is the Olympics of spoken word. It’s where the best of the best meet, one mic, three minutes, original poems, no props, and all heart. Organized by the World Poetry Slam Organization (WPSO), this global championship brings together slam champions from every continent to battle it out with truth, style, and fire.
Poets are judged on content, performance, and the soul they throw into the room by audience members and professional panels alike. It’s not just art; it’s impact with punctuation.
The 2025 WPSC was held May 30th to June 1st in the desert city of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Hosted by Circuito Nacional Poetry Slam México in partnership with Abya Yala Poetry Slam and the WPSO, the event was as hot as the sun but ten times more electrifying.
Over 30 countries participated, from Japan to Kenya, Colombia to Germany, with both in-person and virtual performers showing up ready to transform silence into standing ovations.
King Yaw, proudly waving the red-gold-green with black star, was Ghana’s poetic gladiator. And what a performance it was!
- Semifinals? He nailed a perfect 30 in Round 2.
- Finals? He tied for top score — 59.9 out of 60.
- Result? First place. Gold medal. World Slam Champion.
And backing him with flair, strategy, and calm fire was Ghana’s Slam Master, Theophilus Atuahene Adu, known globally as IyamAtuahene the PR tactician, culutral architect, and master of behind-the-scenes magic who led the charge with precision and vision.
VALUE PREPOSITION OF THIS VICTORY
Let’s not kid ourselves, this is monumental.
- Global Recognition: Ghana is now officially on the global slam map, no longer a rising star but the star.
- Creative Validation: For every poet grinding in Osu, Adabraka, Madina or Tamale this proves that Ghanaian narratives matter globally.
- Youth Inspiration: This win is a loudspeaker to young voices: you can rise, rhyme, and reign.
- Investment Magnet: Brands, institutions, and cultural ministries the arts work. Now’s the time to plug in.
WHERE IT ALL STARTED
Ah, let’s talk family.
Ehalakasa, Ghana’s trailblazing poetry movement, is the incubator where King Yaw found his fire and IyamAtuahene honed his strategy. From dusty open mics to curated national slams, Ehalakasa has consistently built platforms for poetic expression, mental health, social justice, and cultural celebration.
In fact, it was under the Ehalakasa Grand Slam system that King Yaw was selected as Ghana’s official rep — a process built with transparency, creativity, and vision. This win is proof that community-driven art ecosystems work when they are nourished with professionalism and purpose.
They say poets are broke philosophers. Well, King Yaw just broke that myth with a trophy. Ghana’s spoken word scene didn’t just clap back. It clapped forward. With rhythm, roots, and revolutionary rhyme.
So next time you hear someone say “words don’t matter,” tell them Ghana just won the world with syllables.
And to the world, we say: welcome to the Ehalakasa era. It Still Lives In Us
Written by: Theopilus Atuahene Adu aka IyamAtuahene
Slam Master AND EHALAKASA Managing Partner,
“Where the voice of the people becomes the power of the people.”
