Apryl McIntosh-Smith, chief executive officer of Niche Entertainment Group and manager of reggae singer Ras-I, died on Saturday while in Gran Canaria, Spain.
It is not yet clear what was the cause of her death, but according to the Jamaican Gleaner, McIntosh-Smith was representing Jamaica at WOMEX 2026 as part of the Caribbean Women in the Business of Music delegation. Her company was among eight women-led music businesses selected for the international programme, which ran from October 21 to 25 and aimed to create opportunities for Caribbean music professionals to connect, collaborate and expand their reach internationally.
McIntosh-Smith also served as director of education at the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA).
In a social media tribute on Sunday, Ras-I expressed disbelief at losing someone he regarded as more than a manager, describing her as a mother figure, protector and big sister.
“Still can’t believe this is real. You had so much more to offer this world. A mother, a protector and a big sister in one. We laughed, we fussed and then we figured it out as a team and, above all as a family. Jah see and know Apryl it doesn’t feel real not one bit. Always love, Bossy,” he wrote, signing off with a heart emoji.
JaRIA chairman Ewan Simpson also described himself as stunned by the news, revealing that he had spoken with McIntosh-Smith on Friday, the night before her death.
During their conversation, she updated him on matters relating to the JaRIA Awards and told him that she had been discharged from hospital. According to Simpson, she had experienced health complications after reacting to mould in a previous hotel room.
“I spoke with her the night before her passing. She was updating me on some JaRIA Awards matters and she advised that she was out of the hospital. She informed me that she was hospitalised due to her reaction to mould in a previous hotel room and that she had been suffering from some effects of that,” Simpson told The Gleaner on Sunday.
He said the organisation had been cheering her on as she represented Jamaica and the wider reggae industry at WOMEX 2026.
“The entire JaRIA family has been plunged into shock and disbelief at the sudden passing of our education director,” he said, adding that colleagues were now in “utter grief” over what he described as a bizarre turn of events.
Simpson paid tribute to McIntosh-Smith’s versatility and her contribution to Jamaica’s music industry, highlighting her work across artist development, production, management and representation.
“But, even as we mourn, because we must, we reflect on the amazing light that she has been to us. We reflect on Apryl as an all-rounder who was as comfortable in artiste development and production as with management and representation. We reflect on a director whom we could always call to help build bridges across the industry and whose insight and dreams for the future of our entertainment ecosystem continue to loom larger than life,” he said.
McIntosh-Smith also served as chair of JaRIA’s Education Committee and was a member of its Awards Committee and Constitution Advocacy Lobbying and Membership (CALM) Committee.
Simpson said the organisation would remain committed to the goals and vision she had championed, even as colleagues grapple with her death.
“We hold her family … especially her two young daughters … her close friends and colleagues, in prayer and close to our hearts, even as we grapple with this tragedy,” he added.
The Caribbean Women in Music Market Access Programme at WOMEX 2026 was supported by the Caribbean Development Bank through its Cultural and Creative Industries Innovation Fund and the SheTrades Caribbean Hub.
Jamaica was also represented by Janine “Jkuhl” Coombs, singer-songwriter and deputy director of the Music Unites Jamaica Foundation.
McIntosh-Smith’s death represents a significant loss for Jamaica’s music industry, where she worked to strengthen artist development, improve music business knowledge and create opportunities for local talent to reach international audiences.
For Ras-I, her passing also means the loss of a trusted manager and collaborator who believed in his music and shared his ambitions for the future.
