Katherine McVickerMUSIC WORKS INTERNATIONAL

info@musicworksinternational.com Tel: +01 781 300 7580 Fax: +01 781 942 8858 www.musicworksinternational.com

“An astonishing electric bassist, a mellifluous singer and no slouch as a song-smith, Cameroonian bassist Richard Bona holds forth with Mandekan Cubano, a sextet that explores the grooves shared by West African and Cuban music. “TIME OUT

“Imagine an artist with Jaco Pastorious’s virtuosity, George Benson’s vocal fluidity, Joao Gilberto’s sense of song and harmony, all mixed up with African culture. Ladies and gentlemen, we bring you Richard Bona!” LOS ANGELES TIMES

Bassist/vocalist RICHARD BONA, born and raised in Cameroon, arrived in New York in the mid-’90s and wowed crowds with his unique sound and presence. Some even outrageously hinted that Bona was the second coming of Jaco Pastorius. But even though he recorded with the Jaco Pastorius Big Band project, he soon rebuffed the comparisons and showed his own true voice with his impressive Scenes From My Life debut album in 1999. The year earlier he was enlisted to be the musical director for Harry Belafonte’s European tour and in 2002 toured the world as a member of the Pat Metheny Group. His latest project is his spirited Afro-Cuban group Mandekan Cubano which melds together a variety of roots music, from Africa, South America and of course Cuba. Bona’s six-piece band includes two percussionists making this celebration ripple and soar.

Richard Bona Mandekan Cubano

Originally from Cameroon, Bona remains true to his roots, with African rhythms reflected in each of his seven albums;

the first three, Scenes from My Life, Reverence and Munia display his unique approach to storytelling through sounds.

Seeking inspiration from his origins, the themes of Bona’s albums address international issues which mirror his desire

of using music to take a stance on issues affecting the oppressed. With numerous awards, performances, and years of

expertise, Bona has become one of the most accomplished and sought-after musicians of this generation.

Receiving the prestigious Victoires du Jazz Award for “Best International Artist of 2004;” confirmed his ability to ap-

peal to a multitude of audiences ranging from jazz, pop, bossa nova, traditional, afro-beat and funk. Bona’s role in the

group, Steps Ahead, Bona has performed on many stages such as the Adelaide International Guitar Festival and with

many luminaries such as John Legend for his album, Tiki, which was also nominated for a Grammy in 2007 for “Best

Contemporary World Music Album.”

Despite the fact that he spent the entirety of 2008 and 2009 on a non-stop tour, Bona released The Ten Shades of Blues,

lending an aural guidebook to his experiences with the different shades of the blues found in far-flung locations such as

the Sahel, Brazil, India, United States and Cameroon. The Festival International de Jazz de Montreal has duly honored

Bona with the Antonio Carlos Jobim Award; distinguishing him as an artist in the field of world music whose influence on

the evolution of jazz is widely recognized. He also received the prestigious SACEM Jazz Award (Grand Prix Jazz SACEM)

in 2012 for the Jazz Grand Prize. Additionally, his certified Gold 2013 album, Bonafied, demonstrates a fusion of cul-

tures in which he is continuously developing into his Mandekan Cubano.

RICHARD BONA ON MWI.COM | RICHARD-BONA.COM | MUSIC VIDEO

Katherine McVickerMUSIC WORKS INTERNATIONAL

info@musicworksinternational.com Tel: +01 781 300 7580 Fax: +01 781 942 8858 www.musicworksinternational.com