ONE of the main aspects of the celebrations for Bob Marley’s 77th birthday is the opening of an exhibition dedicated to his widow, matriarch recording artiste, businesswoman and philanthropist Rita Marley.

Housed in two rooms of the Bob Marley Museum located at 56 Hope Road in St Andrew, the installation dubbed Mystic of a Queen was curated by Berrette Macaulay and features photographs, articles of clothing and other items connected to Rita Marley, showcasing the diverse paths of her multifaceted life. The Jamaica Observer was granted a preview of the exhibit which will open to the public tomorrow.

According to operations manager and legal counsel at the Bob Marley Group of Companies, Lecia-Gaye Taylor, the exhibition was actually commissioned last year for her 75th birthday but is now being shared with the public during the celebrations of Bob Marley’s birthday, given how interconnected the stories of these two icons of Jamaican music and culture are.

“The story of Bob is so intertwined with Rita’s that you can’t tell one without the other because she is so instrumental in how we have preserved his legacy and his spirit being kept alive today. But this exhibition is really a tribute to her. It’s to honour all the work that she has done and to showcase the very many facets of her because I think sometimes she gets lost in the story because we are all focused on the legend Bob, but she was the one who helped to make sure that his legacy was sustained. She mothered all the children. So she is a matriarch, a businesswoman. She went on [following Bob’s passing] and she bought what was then Federal Records and turned it into Tuff Gong and had a pressing plant as well as publishing and distribution going on in that space. You are looking at a woman back in the 80s — a Rasta woman, a black woman who was accomplishing all those things. So we think it is important to pay tribute to her.”

Taylor added that the exhibit will become a permanent fixture at the museum and be incorporated into the existing daily tours for visitors. She noted that given the various aspects to Rita Marley’s life, the items on display will be put into rotation.

“The idea is that there are so many costumes that she has worn that we will continue to change them out to diversify the experience of the people who come in. Outside of that we can’t tell her story without Bob, so there are performances with Bob and the I-Three — Sister Marcia [Griffiths] and Sister Judy [Mowatt] are a critical part of her story. Then we will also have to showcase her as a solo artiste. There is also her philanthropy both in Jamaica and Ghana which we have captured in photos, as well as some of the numerous awards she has received,” she added.

Rita Marley was born in Cuba to Jamaican parents. She was a member of the I-Three, the vocal trio which supported her husband during his live performances and recordings, and has several solo hits to her credit including One Draw, Who Colt The Game, Harambe, God’s Plan and So Much Things To Say.

In recent years Rita Marley suffered a stroke and has been largely confined to a wheelchair when in public. In an interview with the Observer, her daughter Sharon noted that her mother’s health doesn’t stop her from doing the things she wants to do. She noted, however, that the pandemic has forced her to remain grounded instead of jetting between residences in Africa, Jamaica, and the United States.