Phenomenal guitarist, singer and composer Richard Bona is coming to the LMB tonight, presenting with his quartet his new album Bonafied. The concert is organized by the AghaRTA Prague Jazz Festival. “The African Sting”, how he is often called, worked together with great musicians like Pat Metheny and Bobby McFerrin. Richard Bona was born in Cameroon into a family of musicians, which enabled him to start learning music from a young age. Already with the age of 4, Bona started to play the balafon. At the age of 5, 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 age 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. At the age of 22, Bona decided for another study of music, so he immigrated to Germany at the age of 22 to study music in Düsseldorf, soon relocating to France, where he furthered his studies in music. Whilst in France, he regularly played in various jazz clubs, sometimes with players such as Manu Dibango, Salif Keita, Jacques Higelin and Didier Lockwood. In 1995, Richard left France and established himself in New York, where he still lives and works. He played bass guitar with artists like Joe Zawinul, Larry Coryell, Michael and Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, George Benson, Branford Marsalis, Chaka Khan and Steve Gadd. In New York he also teaches at the University and plays with Pat Metheny, who brought him in 2002 the first time to Prague. From that time on Richard Bona became the star from the AghaRTA Prague Jazz Festival, who are inviting him regularly. This is one the concerts, you will not regret!
