Rita Chiarelli

Rita Chiarelli always lets the music do to the talking - scorching, soulful blues based roots, jazz, rock, and pop. It’s her voice, her golden lungs, which grab you first.

She oozes with influences ranging from Bonnie Raitt to Melissa Etheridge, to Bruce Springsteen and Hank Williams Jr., all the while carving out her own image with a sound running the gamut from pop country to straight ahead blues and blues-rock.

A gifted storyteller, lyricist and a master of poetic imagery, you know Rita lived the lyrics and knows about the life of which she sings. Musically her songs are a combination of blues, rock, rockabilly, country, Cajun and jazz. Her live stage show is riveting, often bringing tears, joy and amazement to her audience.



Press Quotes
"The goddess of Canadian blues… you bow before her.”
Shelagh Rogers, CBC’s This Morning

“Tina Turner and Bonnie Raitt may define her genre, but this Rita Chiarelli woman is going to make you a believer.”
Jack Wallingford, Revue magazine

“…gut-wrenching songs that elevate Chiarelli to the talent of Chrisse Hynde, Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin… After two listenings, I bought five (CDs) to give to people who mean a great deal to me.”
Anne McIntyre, Vancouver Sun

"The woman can sing. She purrs like Billy Holiday, wails like Joplin, emotes like Bonnie Rait and growls like Melissa Etheridge"
Richard Bush, Delta Snake

"Her sound is in the same vein with that of Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt and Joanna Connor, although her vocal range is probably much greater than those three put together. Where there is smoke there is fire and this Canada-based blueswoman just burns the house down."
Les Reynolds, CDStreet

"Rita is the best blues-based female singer in the country."
Richard Flohil, Toronto Blues Society