Title: A Conversation with Rita Marley

source:chrity: water

Excerpt: Rita Marley chats with Scott Harrison from charity: water to discuss the charity's initiative and how it came to be.

Title: The story of the Rasta woman

source:jamaica observer

Excerpt: Rita explained that once she met and fell in love with Bob Marley, her life changed to one of service and dedication to the upliftment of her people through a greater "overstanding" of Rastafari.

Excerpt: Asked about Bob's take on dress, she said he was into modest clothing.
"We had to be elegant, but with principle," she said. "He ordered us to wear nice clothes — 'cover your knees, cover your arms'. We had to present ourselves in the regal, royal way, even though we didn't have money."

Excerpt: "That experience of cutting out certain foods from your diet, even though auntie wanted to feed me on certain things, he (Bob) would say, 'Rita that's not good for you, this is what you should eat'."
However, she credited her aunt for her awareness of Marcus Garvey, which also led to her Rastafari consciousness.
"It was my auntie's desire for me to be so black, in terms of not my colour but my actions until I found Rastafari. I started very early finding principles of life and wellness. I was very aware. My principle was being black and proud. I was very proud to be black and black to be proud."

Title: Rita Marley and Prince Harry

source:ok magazine

Excerpt: Prince Harry greets Bob Marley's widow, Rita, as he visits the Rise Life Youth Project in Kingston, Jamaica on March 6.

Title: Rita Marley's Selfless Work in Ghana

source:huffington post

Excerpt: All over the world, the Marley name has become synonymous with reggae music, rastafari, Jamaica and the ideals of love, hope, justice and unity. As devotees of the Marley legacy honor Bob's 66th birthday this weekend, I'd like to share a short film we at Explore.org did to shine a light on the Rita Marley Foundation and the amazing work she does in Ghana as the official Queen of Development (Nkoso-hene) of that region.

Excerpt: Below is Rita Marley's Town. To see photos from our time with her and the people of Konkonuru, go here

Title: Rita Marley to be honoured

Excerpt: Legendary reggae matriarch Rita Marley will be the recipient of the Marcus Garvey Lifetime Achievement Award at the 17th Annual Caribbean American Heritage Awards Gala hosted by the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) next month. 

Excerpt: "Nana Rita was a perfect recipient for our Marcus Garvey award. This award recognizes those who unselfishly advocate to empower and to uplift the people of the Caribbean and Africa," said ICS president and founder Dr Claire Nelson. "Throughout her life, through her music and her numerous actions, Nana Rita has demonstrated an unconditional to helping youth, lifting the image of Africa on the global stage, and to assist her Jamaican people. We are honored that she has accepted this award."

Title: Interview With Mrs. Rita Marley

Excerpt: CBS: What was it like growing up in the Marley family?

Mrs. Rita Marley: "I was the mother; I grew my kids up like everyone else’s, with discipline and manners, to say yes, please and thank you."

Excerpt: CBS: Was there music playing and being created at all times?

Mrs. Rita Marley: "Our parents were into the church and music was everywhere. Our inspiration was handed down to us and then handed down to our children. What you give to one generation is passed on to the next generation."

Excerpt: CBS: Losing Bob must have been so hard on everyone. How do you keep his memory and spirit alive?

Mrs. Rita Marley: "We don’t believe he is dead, we keep him alive. We are compelled to keep him alive by saying he is alive, we don’t believe his life is finished. Life is everlasting and Bob is making the living go on. His children are proof of his legacy of music and even his grandchildren. Judah, Ziggy's daughter is example of this. This goes to show how important family is, we pray together, we eat together, we cry. Together, we share happiness, sadness and sorrow."

Excerpt: CBS: Why do you think Bob Marley's music is still so well-loved all these generations later?

Mrs. Rita Marley: "Because it’s good. A really good thing last forever, music is one of those good things that last forever and gets better with age. The older it gets the better it gets. Whatever we do we believe in unity and helping hands, more than any other time. It’s family time! [and she chuckles]."

Title: The 'URGE' to give

Excerpt: The Surgical Ward and the Burnt Unit at the Bustamante Hospital for Children yesterday received much needed equipment that will enhance their ability to deal with emergencies such as cardiac or respiratory arrests in children.

The equipment, valued at over $1 million, was donated by Rita Marley - widow of legendary reggae icon Bob Marley - on behalf of Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment (URGE) and included 10 Truphatek Fibre Optical Laryngoscope sets, blood pressure machines, chairs for parents and nurses, one Mayo Stand for the operating theatre, stand-mounted suction pump and Metro Basic Crash Cart.

Excerpt: "It is something in our vocabulary that the aged be protected and the infant cared for. And URGE is an organisation that does that all over the world, not only in Jamaica, and we see it very important to put our hands out for the children, especially those in need," Marley told the Observer.

"There are many needs, but when you come to a place like Bustamante Hospital and see what the children are going through, we constantly give equipment that they request. and we look forward to contributing more to the hospital," she added.

Excerpt: URGE is operated by Marley's offspring and works to help children worldwide.

Title: Rita Marley raised not just one star ... a galaxy

Excerpt: Before the Marley family of today became the musical powerhouse that it now is, there were people behind the scenes, working tirelessly to protect the legacy of the musical icon, Bob Marley.

Excerpt: Ensuring that the values instilled in the young and impressionable Marley minds, would make them exemplary men and women of the future. Those people behind the scenes were the mothers of Bob's children, particularly his widow, the renowned first lady of the Marley family, Rita Marley.

Excerpt: "As a young mother and widow, it was a challenge raising 11 children. My husband's children also became my own. I had to love them all equally. Everyone was treated as one," she said. "There was no difference or preference among them."

Excerpt: "Most of my children, Sharon, Cedella, Ziggy and Steve were born and raised in Trench Town. They had the ghetto experience since they were born and raised there. Yet, this had no negative impact on them," she said, pointing to many accomplishments of her children, musically and otherwise.

Excerpt: Looking back at the success she has had raising the children Marley said she is eternally thankful to an aunt, with whom she grew.

In her words, her aunt made sure she was brought up with love, respect, care and discipline — never compromising her values.

Title: All hail the queen of reggae

Excerpt: If Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley was the "king", Alpharita Constantina Anderson, better known as Rita Marley, must definitely be the "queen" of Reggae music.

Excerpt: Since her husband's death on May 11, 1981, at age 36, Rita has brought all her and her husband's 13 offspring into the fold, and has managed to keep the Marley empire together, and built it into an even bigger brand.

Excerpt: Of the children's decision to follow in their father's footsteps, Rita said that because her children lost their father at such a young age it influenced them to carry on his legacy. "It was sudden and it was too soon," she said, adding that she gave up her career to be their manager.

Excerpt: She added that at the start of her and her husband's career they practically worked like slaves.

"We gave up everything and went to the studio everyday to rehearse and sing. We sung when we got hungry or ate a pattie. Some days we had nothing to eat but we survived because we did what we loved to do. This was our job," Rita said.

Title: Rita Marley: There from the beginning

Excerpt: All over the world, the Marley name and Rita Marley have become synonymous with reggae music, Rastafari and Jamaica. Rita was born Rita Anderson in Cuba, and raised from an early age in Trench Town.

Excerpt: By the early '70s, Rita and Bob developed the I-Threes, Jamaica's three leading female singers (Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths), to provide support harmonies for Bob Marley and the Wailers, who had become the first reggae act to gain an international record contract.

Excerpt: On her official website she notes, "Reggae is the heartbeat of a person. It's the people's music. Everywhere you go, you get the same response from both black and white."

Excerpt: Rita now lives in Ghana and is called Nana Afua Abodea 1, within the Aqwapim region of Ghana.