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 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 Belafonte. This particular association gave him great exposure to the music business, winning his first record deal with Sony Music, and making him an organised musician by organising his messy guitar cables. Richard Bona was heavily influenced by the one and only Jaco Pastorius and is someone who prefers human emotion over technical virtuosity any day. He likes to add his own colour and originality to his artistic expression. He never wants to be number one for the simple reason that he hates going downhill and would like to remain a student of music. He also speaks about his new entry into the Afro-Beat music space.
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