Dubbed “the goddess of Canadian blues” by CBC Radio’s Shelah Rogers, Rita Chiarelli began performing at the age of 15, toured throughout North America with an R&B band after finishing
Biography
Dubbed “the goddess of Canadian blues” by CBC Radio’s Shelah Rogers, Rita Chiarelli began performing at the age of 15, toured throughout North America with an R&B band after finishing high school, and further honed her skills as a member of the Ronnie Hawkins Band in the 1980s. The Hamilton, ON singer spent six years as a studio vocalist in Italy, then returned to Canada and began to catch the attention of many in the music industry. Her discography starts with her 1992 release, Road Rockets, includes Juno award-winning Breakfast at Midnight (2001), and one album of traditional Italian folk songs (Cuore: The Italian Sessions, 2006). A pilgrimage to Louisiana and the birthplace of the blues led to a recording and a critically acclaimed film, Music from the Big House. In this film, she performed for inmates serving life sentences at a maximum-security penitentiary. A gifted songwriter and entertaining performer, it is Rita’s soaring three-octave voice that really sets her apart from her peers. 2019 marks the inaugural Festival appearance for this awe-inspiring, legendary musician.