Richard Bona is one of the world's best bassists, a highly talented multi-instrumentalist, and a singer with an almost magical voice. Many already consider him a legend. When Bona takes the stage, the audience can expect a unique and deeply moving performance. And no matter how high the expectations are, Bona never disappoints.
Bona was born in 1967 in a small village in eastern Cameroon, into a family where music was as essential as daily food. He gave his first public performance at age 5, when he sang in the village church with his mother and four sisters. Since it was difficult to find musical instruments in the village, had to rely on his improvisational skills, carving various flutes, builing wooden percussion instruments, and even crafting a 12-string guitar. His life changed radically in 1980, when a Frenchman came to Douala, opened a jazz club, hired Bona, and asked him to put together a band. The club owner had brought his record collection of over 500 jazz albums from France and asked the young Bona to take a look at them. The first record Bona blindly pulled from the stack was an album by the virtuoso electric bassist Jaco Pastorius. Fascinated by Pastorius’ sound and playing style, Bona didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately set to work imitating him on a bass. After his father’s death when Richard was only age 17, he knew he had to embark on new adventures. He studied obsessively for 5 years, then left his home continent and went to Paris where he was hired by greats like Didier Lockwood, Marc Ducret, Manu Dibango, and Salif. When he finally settled in New York at the end of 1995, his reputation as an exceptional bassist with a captivating voice spread quickly in New York and across the rest of the United States, and soon a diverse range of stars were asking him to accompany them in the studio or on tour, including Paul Simon, Harry Belafonte, Queen Latifah, Harry Connick Jr., Chick Corea, Branford Marsalis, and many more.
Today, Bona is considered one of the most important instrumentalists in West Africa and the United States. The charismatic bassist, guitarist, and singer, who so ingeniously blends his musical roots with jazz, world music, and pop, has made a name for himself worldwide not only through his collaborations with music but also as a solo artist, touring the globe and captivating fans worldwide.
Tickets are CHF 37.20-93.90.

Website
offbeat-concert.ch/series-2026/richard-bona-sextet

Where
Stadtcasino Basel
Konzertgasse 1
4051 Basel

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