Rita Marley

原名Rita Anderson的Rita Marley最為世人所知的身份便是雷鬼樂宗師Bob Marley的妻子，而他在認識Bob之前便是一名歌手了。 Rita Marley出生于古巴，成長于牙買加首都金士頓，是女性SKA樂隊Soulettes的一員，后在錄制專輯的過程中，認識了Bob Marley。1965年，Rita Marley遂自薦來到Bob Marley的樂隊。當(dāng)樂隊成員聽過她的演唱后，大家一致把樂隊另一位主唱的位置給了Rita并稱她為&靈魂歌手&。一年后Bob Marley和Rita Marley相愛結(jié)婚。而后幾年，由于三世界國家音樂的蔑視，發(fā)行的單曲沒有得到相應(yīng)的報酬，樂隊成員因吸毒被捕入獄，Bob的事業(yè)陷入了最低谷，而Rita一直陪伴著自己的丈夫，鼓勵并幫助著這個偉大的男人.1973年發(fā)行了驚天動地的Catch A Fire和Burnin后樂隊中的2位超級大牌Peter Tosh 和 Bunny Wailer 離開了the Wailers。而Rita為組建起一個三人的合聲樂隊支持丈夫的錄音和演出。1981年Bob Marley去世后Rita如遭晴天霹靂，經(jīng)過心理治療后發(fā)行了感動世人的單曲One Draw（也是第一支登上Billboard的雷鬼歌曲），即使她在當(dāng)時的樂壇很成功，一些單曲也很受歡迎，但他還是毅然暫停演出專心撫養(yǎng)兒女并指導(dǎo)他們的音樂發(fā)展(而現(xiàn)在他的兒子們包括Ziggy,Stephen,Julian,Ky-Mani,Damian 都成為當(dāng)今牙買加樂壇上的重要人物).在1988年她重回樂壇發(fā)行的Harambe和后來1991年的We Must Carry on都獲得了格萊美提名，2003年又發(fā)行了紀念丈夫的Sings Bob Marley...and Friends.　　
 
by Steve Huey
 
Best known as Bob Marley's wife, Rita Marley was also a solo artist in her own right both before and after her marriage, and served as the caretaker of her husband's legacy following his premature death in 1981. Born Alpharita Anderson in Cuba, she grew up largely in the Trenchtown section of Kingston, and first sang with a female ska trio called the Soulettes. The Soulettes began recording for Clement &Coxsone& Dodd's Studio One label in 1964, and Dodd asked his emerging young star Bob Marley to mentor them; Marley and Anderson fell in love and married in 1966. Rita recorded with two different Soulettes lineups in the mid-'60s, cut a few hit solo singles of her own (including &Pied Piper&), and backed the Wailers on some of their '60s recordings. When Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer left the Wailers in 1974, Rita helped organize the I-Threes, a female vocal trio consisting of herself, Marcia Griffiths, and Judy Mowatt. The I-Threes backed Bob Marley in the studio and on tour for the remainder of his career, up until his death from melanoma in 1981. During that time, both Marleys narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in 1976, in which one bullet grazed Rita's head and another hit Bob's arm.In 1981, as Bob succumbed to cancer, Rita recorded the solo album Who Feels It Knows It. A spiritual, life-affirming statement, the album featured a lighthearted hit single in &One Draw,& a blatantly pro-marijuana lesson in proper smoking technique. Banned by the BBC, &One Draw& became the first reggae single to top Billboard's disco singles chart, which was used to track dance-club play at the time. Another single, &Play Play,& had a measure of success in the U.K. However, Marley found it difficult to pursue a full-time recording career; she spent much of the '80s handling the assorted legal and business interests associated with her husband's name and estate, and also mentored her children's musical venture, Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers. She finally returned to solo recording with 1988's Harambe (Working Together for Freedom), and followed it in 1991 with We Must Carry On, which garnered a Grammy nomination. Both albums continued her knack for danceable, rootsy reggae with spiritual messages and a definite sense of fun. Marley finally returned with a new album, Rita Marley Sings Bob Marley...and Friends, in 2003.