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Yet another of Harry Belafonte's protégés who later made a big name for himself, Cameroon's Richard Bona takes time out from his ace session bass life to make another remarkably versatile, impeccably polished solo album, Munia: The Tale, his first on Verve. While Bona allows rock, jazz, funk, and Brazilian influences through the window, the melodies and rhythmic patterns are still strongly rooted in West Africa, always permeating the atmosphere. On some of the tracks, Bona needs no help at all to make an impression, layering on his vocals over his bass, guitars, keyboards, and percussion in an exquisitely controlled one-man show. He often does so with the subtle shading and dabs of color of a pianter, like the gentle Moog lines that seep into the background of "Dina Lam." Indeed, "Munia" opens with a cleverly titled a cappella incantation "Bonatology" -- featuring no other voices than those of Bona. And when he gets one of those revolving Afrobeat grooves going -- with irresistible results on "Couscous" -- you wish the track would never end. Yet Bona also doesn't mind playing a supporting role, laying back on bass as Miles Davis alumnus Kenny Garrett offers up some soulful soprano sax on the now-contemplative, now-complex Miles tribute "Painting a Wish." Salif Keita adds his impassioned, keening vocals to "Kalabancoro," and Romero Lubambo's acoustic guitar gives "Bona Petit" (another self-referential title) a lot of its Brazilian flavor. Bona the virtuoso doesn't try to dazzle you with his technique; instead, he seduces you with his music's glossy finish and peacefully insistent rhythms.
© Richard S. Ginell /TiVo
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Richard Bona, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2003 Decca Records France
Valérie Belinga, Interprète Vocal, AssociatedPerformer - Julia Sarr, Interprète Vocal, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Bona, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Salif Keita, Author, Interprète Vocal, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Nathaniel Townsley III, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Coco M'Bassi, Interprète Vocal, AssociatedPerformer - Diely Moussa Conde, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Georges Whitty, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - A.T.N, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Ba Bailo, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Decca Records France
Richard Bona, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - A.T.N, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Decca Records France
Vinnie Colaiuta, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - KENNY GARRETT, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Bona, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - George Colligan, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Decca Records France
Vinnie Colaiuta, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Andrew Lippman, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Valérie Belinga, Interprète Vocal, AssociatedPerformer - Julia Sarr, Interprète Vocal, AssociatedPerformer - Gilmar Gomes, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Bona, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Aaron Heick, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Todd Horton, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Coco M'Bassi, Interprète Vocal, AssociatedPerformer - A.T.N, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Decca Records France
Richard Bona, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - A.T.N, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Decca Records France
Valérie Belinga, Interprète Vocal, AssociatedPerformer - Julia Sarr, Interprète Vocal, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Bona, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Chris Young, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Todd Horton, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Nathaniel Townsley III, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Coco M'Bassi, Interprète Vocal, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Decca Records France
Vinnie Colaiuta, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Bona, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - George Colligan, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Decca Records France
Romero Lubambo, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Gilmar Gomes, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Bona, Composer, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - George Whitty, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Charlotte Balibar, Author
℗ 2003 Decca Records France
Richard Bona, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2003 Decca Records France
Vinnie Colaiuta, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Bona, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - A.T.N, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Agnès Kervarec, Interprète Vocal, AssociatedPerformer - Magali Kervarec, Interprète Vocal, AssociatedPerformer - Yanis Ngando Mpondo, Interprète Vocal, AssociatedPerformer - Karl Ngando Mpondo, Interprète Vocal, AssociatedPerformer - Caresse Bollanga, Interprète Vocal, AssociatedPerformer - Fred-Yves Bollanga, Interprète Vocal, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Decca Records France
Album review
Yet another of Harry Belafonte's protégés who later made a big name for himself, Cameroon's Richard Bona takes time out from his ace session bass life to make another remarkably versatile, impeccably polished solo album, Munia: The Tale, his first on Verve. While Bona allows rock, jazz, funk, and Brazilian influences through the window, the melodies and rhythmic patterns are still strongly rooted in West Africa, always permeating the atmosphere. On some of the tracks, Bona needs no help at all to make an impression, layering on his vocals over his bass, guitars, keyboards, and percussion in an exquisitely controlled one-man show. He often does so with the subtle shading and dabs of color of a pianter, like the gentle Moog lines that seep into the background of "Dina Lam." Indeed, "Munia" opens with a cleverly titled a cappella incantation "Bonatology" -- featuring no other voices than those of Bona. And when he gets one of those revolving Afrobeat grooves going -- with irresistible results on "Couscous" -- you wish the track would never end. Yet Bona also doesn't mind playing a supporting role, laying back on bass as Miles Davis alumnus Kenny Garrett offers up some soulful soprano sax on the now-contemplative, now-complex Miles tribute "Painting a Wish." Salif Keita adds his impassioned, keening vocals to "Kalabancoro," and Romero Lubambo's acoustic guitar gives "Bona Petit" (another self-referential title) a lot of its Brazilian flavor. Bona the virtuoso doesn't try to dazzle you with his technique; instead, he seduces you with his music's glossy finish and peacefully insistent rhythms.
© Richard S. Ginell /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:52:21
- Main artists: Richard Bona
- Composer: Richard Bona
- Label: Universal Music Division Decca Records France
- Genre: World
© 2003 Universal Music Jazz France ℗ 2003 Decca Records France
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