Having wowed Indian audiences in October 2008 with two sold out performances, vocalist, bassist extraordinaire Richard Bona once again visits Indian shores to showcase his unique blend of native African idioms and Western influences that have vowed audiences across the globe. “I am very happy to be back in India and am looking forward to playing my music and also meeting my fans” says the smiling Cameroon native who now lives in the US.

Richard Bona’s visit to India is part of his launch tour to release his new album ‘The Ten Shades of Blues’ which he has collaborated with Indian artists. “I am always looking for new collaborators and learning from one another. And I think this time I have managed to do that with this album. I have worked with Shankar Mahadevan Nandini Srikar, Vivek Rajgopalan, Satyajit Talwalker, Niladri Kumar.” The album allows listeners to discover a wonderful storyteller, who with his vocals wraps some fantastic arrangements. His normal style blends many influences, including jazz, bossa nova, pop, afro-beat, traditional song and funk. This combination has given Bona’s music a new look all over. Interestingly this album comes 10 years after his first album way back in 1999.

Bona traveled a lot to make the album. He says that in his album tries to show how universal the blues are and at the same time how sophisticated it can be. All cultures and styles of music have influences of the blues in some way or other. Thus he chose the blues because he looks at the genre globally having recorded a part of his album in India with Shankar Mahadevan. “You can find the blues in Africa, America and in India. People usually put a style to it, with guitar and vocals. But I see it first as a scale, something that’s present in different traditions and expressions in music.” he says. According to Bona ‘The Ten Shades of Blues’ means ten nuances, ten different ways of playing the blues.

To date Bona has performed as a solo artist and session player with the with musicians like Michael Brecker, Paul Simon, Chaka Khan, Eddie Palmieri, Chucho Valdès, Mike Stern, Larry Coryell, Steve Gadd, Joni Mitchell, Harry Connick Jr., Herbie Hancock, Billy Cobham, Queen Latifah, Jacky Terrasson, Bobby McFerrin, Chick Corea and George Benson among other renowned musicians.

Around the world he is labeled as a bass player, but his fans have their own moniker watching his unique style, often referring to him as “The African Sting.”

Bona grew up surrounded by musicians…..his grandfather, mother and his 3 uncles. He joined the church choir at the age of 5 alongwith his four sisters who sang in church every Sunday. It was here that Bona gained an early passion for sounds and harmony. At the age of 15 he started playing the guitar and working as a guitar player. “I was not at all attracted to the guitar” recalls Bona “until a club owner played me some jazz music. He asked me to choose a record and I chose Jaco Pastorius. I heard the tune ‘Donna Lee’ and was simply blown away. I had never heard a musician play the bass like that. From that day I vowed to be a bass player and turned my 6 string guitar into a 4 string electric bass guitar”

Bona is in love with India, its music, food and has even heard of Bollywood, though he says he has not met anyone. “I discovered that India has some of the most beautiful voices ever heard and I sometimes feel that their tones sound and feel as if they are channeling God. That feeling is on my album.” he signs off.

Richard Bona launches ‘The Ten Shades of Blues’ and performs Live @ Blue Frog, Mumbai on 2nd and 3rd February 2010.

-- By Verus Ferreira