Jamaican music artist and entrepreneur, Rita Marley, will be honored at the 41st annual International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) ceremony in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on March 22, 2024. Dr Alfarita “Rita” Marley is the widow of reggae icon, Bob Marley, and the mother of Sharon, Cedella, Ziggy, and Stephen Marley. The presentation of her award will feature a special tribute by top female reggae artists and family members singing to her.
Recognized for her philanthropic service
Dr Marley will be presented with the Philanthropist Award in recognition of her active involvement with philanthropy throughout her life, notably the founding of the Rita Marley Foundation (RMF) in 2000 with the mission to advance education and health care and alleviate poverty in underserved communities in Jamaica and developing countries. A key project for the RMF is the “Lioness of Lebanon” program, which supports the education and empowerment of girls and young women in Lebanon. The RMF also operates Jamaica’s “Lioness on the Rise” initiative, which provides scholarships, mentors, and other support for young women who pursue higher education. The RMF focuses on aid to youth and elderly populations and gives scholarships to music students in Ghana. It also hosts the yearly Africa United concerts, which are designed to raise global awareness of issues affecting Africa and develop sustainable solutions. Rita Marley has adopted 35 children in Ethiopia and helped more than 200 children at the Konkonuru Methodist School in Ghana.
Founder of IRAWMA notes her engagement with the organization
The founder of the IRAWMA, Dr Ephraim Martin, announced the award, praised Dr Marley’s musical talent and entrepreneurial skill, noting that she has been involved with the organization in many ways by attending and performing at the event, serving as a presenter, being nominated, and winning several IRAWMA awards in the past. She received the Reggae 50 Award in 2019 to honor her more than five decades of contributions to reggae and Jamaican music. She also accepted the IRAWMA Emperor of Reggae and World Music honor bestowed on her late husband, Bob Marley. Martin also spoke of her philanthropic initiatives, including the Rita Marley Foundation.
Life and career
Born in Santiago de Cuba, Rita Marley moved to Kingston at the age of three months. She was raised by her aunt in Trenchtown following her parents’ separation. Beginning her singing career in the 1960s, she was coached by Bob Marley at Studio One, and they were married in 1966. After their second child was born, she became a member of The I Threes with Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt, recording with Bob Marley for the first time in 1974. In 1976, she was wounded in a politically motivated assault on the Marley family home. After Bob’s death in 1981, She bought the Federal Records recording studio, the first pressing plant in Jamaica, and the moved the operation to Hope Road where its operations continue to this day under the Tuff Gong name. She converted Bob Marley’s home to a museum in 1986 and serves as chair of the Robert Marley Foundation, Bob Marley Trust, and Bob Marley Group of Companies. She suffered a stroke in 2016 and has kept a low profile since then.
Awards and honors
In 1996, Rita Marley was conferred with the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican government for her contributions to the development of Jamaican music and culture. In 2010, she received the Marcus Garvey Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2019, along with her fellow I Three members, she accepted the Iconic Award (For a Duo/Group) from the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association. Also in 2019, she received Jamaica’s fourth-highest national honor, the Order of Jamaica (OJ). She was made an honorary citizen of Ghana in 2013, and in 2015, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of the West Indies. She received a second honorary Doctorate by the University of Fort Hare, South Africa, in 2017. In 2022, Rita was presented with the Jamaican Consulate General’s Lifetime Achievement Award and honored by the South Miami Dade Cultural Arts Center.
Matriarch of the Marley family
Rita Marley has six children, three – Cedella, Ziggy, and Stephen – with Bob Marley. She also has a daughter, Sharon Marley, from a relationship with former Jamaican soccer player Owen “ItalTacky” Stewart prior to her marriage, who was adopted by Bob Marley; and Serita Stewart, born after Bob’s passing to Owen “Ital Tacky” Stewart.
Photo – Rita Marley
