Fresh from winning his first International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) for Best Poet/Spoken Word Entertainer, Richie Innocent debuts the video to his song, ‘The Passover’, on June 21. The video is directed by Marlon Wright, who also co-produced the single which was released in August 2025.
Making appearances in the video are comedian Bashy and actor Jookie Jam. For Richie Innocent, it is a perfect segue to Poetry Echoes of Expression, which he stages for the third time on September 26 at VP Records in Queens, New York.
“Being crowned Best Poet/Spoken Word Artist at IRAWMA will definitely be meaningful because as the person and poet who is responsible for the show, this crowning moment will also attract persons for the first time who want to celebrate with me,” he said. “Therefore, since this is the third staging, they will be present to encourage the effort to continue as a calendar event.”
Marcia Jackson, a two-time winner of the Best Poet/Spoken Word Entertainer Award; Blaq Ice, Yabez, Ras Igus, Killa Boo and Burnett Coburn, are some of the artists scheduled to perform at Poetry Echoes of Expression.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica and raised in rural St. Elizabeth parish, Richie Innocent started his career 30 years ago as Innocent, a deejay. As his sound evolved, he changed his stage name to match the cultural themes he addressed.
It was the New York-based artist’s eighth IRAWMA nomination for Best Poet/Spoken Word Entertainer, for which the winner is presented with the Mutarauka Award. The ceremony took place on May 21 in Lauderhill, South Florida.
