Richard Bona

by Jason Ankeny
Jazz bassist Richard Bona was born and raised in the West African nation of Cameroon, going on to session dates with Joe Zawinul, Regina Carter, and Bob James as well as a two-year stint as musical director for the great Harry Belafonte. He made his debut as a headliner in 1999 with Scenes from My Life, and two years later Reverence came out. In 2003, Bona made his Verve debut with Munia: The Tale, which explored the territories of rock and jazz while keeping his West African influences, and 2005's Toto Bona Lokua was a joint effort with Lokua Kanza (from the Congo) and Gerald Toto (from Martinique). In 2006, Tiki, featuring guest artists like John Legend and Djavan, was released.