Richard Bona and “Heritage”: African roots and Cuban inspirations at Ethno Jazz Festival

Richard Bona freely combines distant musical worlds, exploring jazz, bossa nova, pop, Afrobeat, traditional African songs and funk!

The Cameroonian multi-instrumentalist has been surrounded by music since childhood. By the age of 5, he was singing with his family in the local church. The first instruments he learnt were the recorder and various unusual percussion instruments. A little later, he built his own 12-string acoustic guitar. At 11, he moved to Douala and began earning his living playing electric guitar. It was then that he discovered his extraordinary ability to learn any instrument by ear. When Bona was thirteen, the French owner of a jazz club in a local hotel heard him and suggested that he form a big band. It was through him that Bona discovered jazz and, inspired by Jaco Pastorius, took up electric bass.

Bona moved to Paris in 1989 and began working with leading French and African jazz musicians, including violinist Didier Lockwood, Marc Ducret, Manu Dibango and Salif Keita. He spent seven years in Paris, refining his abilities and learning from outstanding musicians, among them the legendary Joe Zawinul. He quickly became known as a brilliant bassist, leading to collaborations with Michael Brecker, Paul Simon, Chaka Khan, Joni Mitchell, Harry Connick Jr., Herbie Hancock, Bobby Mc Ferrin, Chick Corea, Harry Belafonte and George Benson, among others. Bona released his debut album, “Scenes from My Life”, in 1999 and joined the Pat Metheny Group three years later. He has now released eight excellent albums, with “Bonafied” achieving gold status in Poland.

Richard Bona is a regular Ethno Jazz Festival guest, giving brilliant, long-remembered Wrocław concerts in 2013 and 2016. On 15 November, the African magician will dazzle audiences again in a new musical incarnation. This concert must not be missed!

▶