Richard Bona

Richard Bona (born 28 October 1967) is a Cameroonian multi-instrumentalist and singer.

Early life Bona Penda Nya Yuma Elolo was born in Minta, Cameroon, into a family of musicians, which enabled him to start learning music from a young age. His grandfather was a griot – a West African singer of praise and storyteller – and percussionist, and his mother was a singer. When he was four years old, Bona started to play the balafon. At the age of five, he began performing at his village church. Not being wealthy, Bona made many of his own instruments: including flutes and guitars (with cords strung over an old motorcycle tank).

His talent was quickly noticed, and he was often invited to perform at festivals and ceremonies. Bona began learning to play the guitar at the age of 11, and in 1980, aged just 13, he assembled his first ensemble for a French jazz club in Douala. The owner befriended him and helped him discover jazz music, in particular that of Jaco Pastorius, which inspired Bona to switch his focus to the electric bass.

Career

Bona emigrated to Germany at the age of 22 to study music in Düsseldorf,

He held a professorship of jazz music at New York University.

Between 2015 and 2020, he owned, together with restaurateur Laurent d'Antonio, the Club Bonafide, a jazz club in New York.

Richard Bona's music took on a distinctive Afro-Cuban flavor with the 2016 release of the Heritage album with Cuban band Mandekan Cubano. The album was released under Quincy Jones' Qwest label.

Discography

Studio albums Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications BEL(WA) FRA NLD POL USWorldAlbums Scenes from My LifeReleased: 20 July 1999 Label: Columbia Jazz — — — — — ReverenceReleased: 7 September 2001 Label: Columbia Jazz — 93 — — — MuniaReleased: 22 September 2003 Label: Universal Music France — 90 — — — Toto Bona Lokua(with Gerald Toto and Lokua Kanza)Released: 20 April 2004 Label: No Format! — — — — 6 TikiReleased: 2 October 2005 Label: Universal Music France — 118 81 41 10 The Ten Shades of BluesReleased: 19 October 2009 Label: Universal Jazz France — 116 49 — — Te Mesia(with DR Big Band)Released: 14 November 2011 Label: Red Dot Music / EMI — — — — — BonafiedReleased: 22 April 2013 Label: Universal Jazz France 159 162 — 33 —ZPAV: Gold HeritageReleased: June 2016 Label: Qwest Records — 74 — "—" denotes a release that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Live albums Title Album details Peak chart positions FRA Label: Columbia Jazz

As guest

With Joe Signature (563 Entertainment, 2009) DoubleBack: Evolution of R&B (563 Entertainment, 2013)

With Pat Metheny Speaking of Now (Warner Bros., 2002) The Way Up (Nonesuch, 2005) – recorded in 2003–04

With Jaco Pastorius Big Band Word of Mouth Revisited (Heads Up, 2003) The Word Is Out! (Heads Up, 2006)

With Mike Stern Voices (Atlantic, 2001) These Times (ESC, 2004) Who Let the Cats Out? (Heads Up, 2006) Big Neighborhood (Heads Up, 2009) All Over the Place (Heads Up, 2012) – recorded in 2011

With Sadao Watanabe Sadao 2000 (Polydor/Verve, 2000) Wheel of Life (Verve, 2003) "One for You" Sadao & Bona Live (JVC, 2005)

With Kazumi Watanabe Mo' Bop (EWE, 2003) Mo' Bop II (AWS, 2004) Mo' Bop III (EWE, 2006) Acoustic Flakes (EWE, 2009)

With Joe Zawinul My People (ESC, 1996) – recorded between 1992–96 The Zawinul Syndicate, World Tour (ESC, 1998)[2CD] – live Faces & Places (ESC, 2002) – recorded between 2001–02

With others Harry Belafonte, An Evening with Harry Belafonte & Friends (Island, 1997) BélO, Reference (Aztec Musique, 2008) George Benson, Irreplaceable (GRP, 2003) Randy Brecker, Hangin' in the City (ESC, 2001) Regina Carter, Rhythms of the Heart (Verve, 1999) Andre Ceccarelli, Ultimo (Universal/EmArcy, 2012) Mino Cinelu, Mino Cinelu (EmArcy, 1999) Larry Coryell, Spaces Revisited (Shanachie, 1997) Corin Curschellas, Goodbye Gary Cooper (Make Up, 1999) Chico DeBarge, Addiction (Kedar, 2009) Robert Dick, Jazz Standards On Mars (Enja, 1997) Coreon Du, Binario Da Banda (2014) Eliane Elias, Dave Grusin, Herbie Hancock, Bob James, Brad Mehldau, Portrait of Bill Evans (JVC, 2004) Jonathan Elias, Prayer Cycle: Path to Zero (Across the Universe, 2011) Bill Evans (saxophonist), The Other Side of Something (Intuition, 2007) Bela Fleck, Throw Down Your Heart (Rounder, 2009) Guaco, Bidimensional (Producciones Guaqueros, 2017) Anna Maria Jopek, ID (EmArcy, 2008) D. D. Jackson, Anthem (RCA Victor, 2000) Bob James, Joy Ride (Warner Bros., 1999) Eric Le Lann, Cap Frehel (Musidisc, 1992) Lionel Loueke, Mwaliko (Blue Note, 2010) Lura, Heranca (Lusafrica, 2015) Christophe Mae, La Vie D'artiste (Parlophone, 2019) Maria Markesini, Kosmo Etcetera Now (KTD, 2009) Hector Martignon, Refugee (Zoho, 2007) Keiko Matsui, Moyo (Stomp, 2008) Frank McComb, Love Stories (Columbia, 2000) Bobby McFerrin, Beyond Words (Blue Note, 2002) Jane Monheit, Come Dream with Me (N-Coded, 2001) Les Nubians, One Step Forward (Virgin, 2003) Danilo Perez, Panafrica (Verve, 2001) Dianne Reeves, Beautiful Life (Concord, 2013) Lee Ritenour, Smoke 'n' Mirrors (Peak, 2006) Renee Rosnes, Art & Soul (Blue Note, 1999) Kamil Rustam, Cosmopolitain (Can U Feel It, 2017) Philippe Saisse, Halfway 'Til Dawn (GRP, 1999) Soldier String Quartet, Inspect for Damaged Gods (Mulatta, 2004) Joseph Tawadros, Chameleons of the White Shadow (ABC, 2013) Jacky Terrasson, What It Is (Blue Note, 1999) Huong Thanh, Dragonfly (ACT, 2001) Two Siberians, Out of Nowhere (Heads Up, 2005) Victor Wooten, Palmystery (Heads Up, 2008)