Richard Bona on being a self-made realist

Richard Bona hails from the remotest part of Cameroon, from a village called Minta. His mother, grandfather, and great-uncles used to be musicians, keeping their African culture and traditions alive. At the age of 3, he discovered his love for music through the balaphone. His financial condition made him climb a tree and make his own instruments. He describes Minta’s environment, which made him do things as a sense of necessity that later developed into a long-lasting passion. During his teens, he left for Germany to study classical music and was in France for a bit of sessioning as a bassist. He didn’t find true purpose in being labelled as just a bassist, as he was an equally good singer and a better percussionist. His true homecoming occurred in New York, where he landed his first official job as musical director for the legendary Harry Belafo ...