Jazz Star - Richard Bona in Tbilisi
By Mariam Chanishvili
Tuesday, May 7
Bassist and vocalist Richard Bona, born and raised in Cameroon, gave a concert in Tbilisi on May 5 alongside with Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra directed by Vakhtang Kakhidze.
The concert took place at Tbilisi Center for Music & Culture, which is one of the leading concert organizations in Georgia, which serves for preservation and evolution of the country's rich musical traditions.
Richard Bona’s seemingly effortless voice, skills on the bass, unique songwriting/arranging expertise and ability to learn just about any instrument simply from watching, make him a rare artist to have established an international reputation that transcends cultural boundaries.
This concert was not the first one for Bona in Georgia. He has toured to Georgia in 2007 as well.
Bona welcomed the crowd, talked a little bit about his wonderful experience in Georgia, the food he really liked and the Orchestra he worked with.
Before playing a piece by Jaco Pastorius (American jazz bassist who was a member of Weather Report), he noted that Jaco has been one of the main musical heroes and reasons for picking up the bass guitar.
Next shows by Richard Bona are planned to take place in Norway (June 7), the Netherlands (June 8) and Italy (June 18).
Bona arrived in New York in the mid-’90s. He collaborated with such luminaries as Gerald Toto, Lokua Kanza, Kazumi Watanabe, Pat Metheny, Bobby McFerrin, Mario Canonge and many others. In 2016 he released his new Afro-Cuban project Mandekan Cubano and has visited many jazz festivals.
With numerous awards, performances, and years of expertise, Bona has become one of the most accomplished and sought-after musicians of this generation.
