Poet Marcia Jackson thrilled to be hosting IRAWMA

While excited at the prospect of a hat-trick, Jackson is thrilled to be hosting the 43rd IRAWMA.It’s surreal and humbling. As a poet, my job is to hold a mirror to our culture and history, so to be hosting this year’s IRAWMA event feels like the poetry and the music are finally on the same stage, speaking the same language,” she told Observer Online. “Winning the Mutabaruka Award for Best Poet/Spoken Word Entertainer twice showed me that our art form is respected here. Now, hosting lets me celebrate every genre that carries our stories, from dub poetry to dancehall.”Originally from Portland, Jackson has enjoyed a diverse career which started as Copper Girl, a dancehall deejay. Inspired by luminaries such as Claude McKay and Louise “Miss Lou” Bennett Coverley, she began writing poems in her teens.A registered nurse, Jackson is also an actress who has appeared in plays like The Real Wife. She stages the Easter Comedy Show in Jupiter, Florida.That rounded resume has prepared her for the big occasion.“Dub poetry taught me timing, breath, and how to command a room with just words. Drama taught me stage presence and how to hold an audience. And organizing events like the Unity Dance for Nursing Month in Florida taught me logistics, running order, and keeping energy high for hours,” she said. “All of that comes together when you’re hosting.”The brainchild of Ephraim Martin, a former photo-journalist with The Gleaner, the IRAWMA was first held (as the International Reggae Music Awards) in 1982 in Chicago. It has honoured hundreds of artistes, musicians, producers and administrators, mainly from Jamaica.This year, there are 40 categories to be decided by voting. Five persons will also be awarded with Special Honours.- Howard Campbell