Born 1952, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies. In her teens Mowatt joined a dance troupe that toured the Caribbean. There she met up with Beryl Lawson and Merle Clemonson, with whom she formed the Gaylettes (aka the Gaytones). Together they backed many artists on releases for the Federal label in the mid-60s, until Mowatt’s two companions left for America in 1970. Deciding to persevere with a solo career, she recorded widely in both soul and reggae styles, under a variety of names due to contractual complications. The most notable of these releases was “I Shall Sing”, the first of a string of reggae chart successes. Subsequently, Mowatt joined the Twelve Tribes Of Israel organization, aligning herself with fellow Jamaican musicians such as Dennis Brown and Freddie McGregor. She formed her own label, Ashandan, and in the early 70s joined Marcia Griffiths on stage, alongside Rita Marley.

Eventually, the trio was cemented as the I-Threes, Bob Marley having been suitably impressed by their performance. While working with Marley, she continued her solo career, and also managed to find time to raise a family. She also had the honour of being the first to record at Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong studio in Kingston, sessions that produced Black Woman. It was the first time that a female artist had produced her own album in Jamaica. Not only was it an outstanding work in its own right, but it offered an articulate voice for Jamaican women, who had previously been either under- or mis-represented in the reggae idiom. Largely self-penned (with notable contributions from Bob Marley and Freddie McGregor), it proved a landmark work, showcasing her sweet and plaintive voice. She has continued to forge a solo career and rivals her old sparring partner Griffiths for the title of Jamaica’s first woman of reggae. However, attempts to cross over have been less successful, notably Love Is Overdue, which included takes on “Try A Little Tenderness” and UB40 ‘s “Sing Our Own Song”. The album did bring her a Grammy nomination, the first occasion on which a female reggae artist had been honoured in this way.