Soma

Resources => Music [Public] => Topic started by: nichi on April 09, 2008, 04:22:45 PM

Title: Richard Bona
Post by: nichi on April 09, 2008, 04:22:45 PM

Richard Bona from East Cameroon... I found him in the section on Jaco, covering one of Jaco's songs. He plays a 5-string bass, et al. Among other  things, he is a perfectionist.  Lovely music he has: I hope you'll get to listen to it!

O Beta O Siba by Richard Bona (http://www.last.fm/music/Richard+Bona/_/O+Beta+O+Siba)

Messanga (http://www.last.fm/music/Richard+Bona/_/Messanga)

Bisso Baba (Always Together) (http://www.last.fm/music/Richard+Bona/_/Bisso+Baba+%28Always+Together%29)

Sona Mama (http://www.last.fm/music/Richard+Bona/_/Sona+Mama)

Djombwe (http://www.last.fm/music/Richard+Bona/_/Djombwe)

Kalabancoro (http://www.last.fm/music/Richard+Bona/_/Kalabancoro)

Eyando (http://www.last.fm/music/Richard+Bona/_/Eyando)

(http://muzyka.gery.pl/cms/content/repository/images/RichardBona.jpg)

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: nichi on April 27, 2008, 03:04:27 AM

Dina Lam (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fsAYwyIG2E&NR=1)

Excerpt Dina Lam with the Zawinul Syndicate (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjFP-M2h8-4&feature=related)

Bobby Mcferrin improvisation with Richard Bona (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iimMKWF7SK0&NR=1)

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Michael on April 28, 2008, 12:54:47 AM

Quote from: nichi on April 27, 2008, 03:04:27 AM

Bobby Mcferrin improvisation with Richard Bona (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iimMKWF7SK0&NR=1)

finally got to load some of these - I really like this one.
Bobby McFerrin is an extraordinary singer.

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: nichi on April 28, 2008, 07:33:42 AM

That makes a lot of sense that you would like Bobby McFerrin. He embodies the kind of playing that Saur describes about itself:

"However improvisation is most commonly applied to the jazz style of playing, where the person instantaneously 'makes up' a bit of music, whilst the remaining members maintain a pre-learnt base. In this style of music it is common protocol to leave alone the improvising musician to complete his or her allotted section. So it is limited in structure, in that a specific space is provided to 'freelance' within an overall pre-composed piece. And it is 'soloed' in that one person does his or her thing until their time is up. There is a considerable amount of convention applied to this, which is expected everyone observe.

When the conventions are removed, musicians call this a 'jam'. The jam is popular in the rock music arena. It generally means that each musician is free to let off steam, with very little sensitivity to what others in the group are doing. This is experienced as a free for all race until you just get tired and stop. It is great fun to play for awhile, but only occasionally produces good listening music.

Saur is a very different type of improvised music. There are no overt rules or structures, people are not allotted their own space, without interference, to develop and complete their own expression. Anyone can play anything at any time. Also it is not a jam, specifically because each person is externally sensitive to each of the other musicians.

But there is something more important - it is a spontaneous composition in which all participate. The significance of this is that over and above the mutual sensitivity of the players, the salient characteristic of sauring is a sensitivity to the evolving spirit in the music. We are all watching and waiting for this spirit to appear, then we all become intimately transported through this spirit on a journey that none of the players can anticipate."

From SAUR: the Living Proof (http://buriedshiva.com.au/saur/index.html)

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: nichi on April 28, 2008, 07:38:18 AM

(Not to mention, he is spirit-filled. It's a joy to watch him.
Personally, I see something similar in Bona too, though he's not quite as free...)

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Michael on April 28, 2008, 08:25:14 AM

yes, I like Bona - I often don't like African singers, although I have heard some good ones, but mostly African singing style is very harsh - Bona has a very attractive style, and plays a nice bass as well.

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: xero on April 28, 2008, 11:45:11 PM

I have touched on this on a few occasions since joining Soma...but it keeps resounding in me the more I 'study' the phenomena of music and 'the muse' in my life. These recent posts excite me to further comment.

I make a broad distinction between what is generally called 'music' (small 'm') and the MUSE of a more considered encounter. {How does one put this in words ? - poetry I suppose}
 
Anyway -

Small 'm' music is a collection of various sounds in various states of vibrational harmony or deliberate discordance.
Fine; - this almost clinical definition works on on discordance e level of assessment but is decidedly unpalatable for most folk - and the reason for this enthralls many of us!

It is tempting to single out styles of music ie. martial music and assign it to the inorganic end of this lock step mathematical assessment - but it really has little to do with a particular genre - except superficially.

It is something about some form of '_ ficiality' that makes the difference between _{(lower case)} music and ^{(upper case)} MUSIC.
[...sometimes when we speak of music we have to invent words and ways of working words - Poetry perhaps]

Moving on...

So...were it not for that exceptional capacity of humans (and other species, like whales) to lend a special attention to these sounds - and indeed, generate specific 'sounds of intent' - we would be marooned in a clamorous clutter of noise. [[[ Now, Sounds like Hell to me ]]]

Which reminds of a little myth I borrowed and re-invented to explain our human predicament. I must write it out and post it some time.

Basically, my version tells of how, when A & E were getting kicked out of the Garden of Eden, the head of the angels Michael knowing we were REALLY Stuffed, slipped our dis-graced little pair of losers a few aids whilst God and the other Cherubs weren't watching. I reckon - one of the gifts was the ability for intentional sounding and listening - or what we now call Music.  (The others were [the enjoyment of] sex and the capacity to laugh ).

"If you are going to be humans rather than just Hu's, you better have some of this." said Michael, slipping Adam a small package of humour.

Yeah...I will post my little myth - now i've started writing it here.

Right...

Yep... that special 'attention' is a 'lifeline' of the MUSES  - that  state, condition or spirit that gave ascension to enable us to heed the heart and to hear through the body. Perhaps why 'hear' and 'heart' are just separated by a cross or 't')

I also note that the word muse has a 'us' within 'ME'  - [M-us-E]  which is a most suitable artifice to encapsulate the effect of the MUSE - those mythical spirits of creativity. They foster recognition of the total within the singular.

 Calliope for example, is the muse of medicinal / magic-itial language.

Be that as it may...language is of course, the bumbling country cousin of music.

Mind you...just what makes 'a piece of music' - into -  'a song' is a story unto itself 
- or for that matter, when is; noise > sound and sound > music is a profound study .

 Michael / anyone ?

Anyway...I digress;
What I wanted to highlight was the singular wonder of what I call, our human capacity to make moments momentous.

In spite of the general parlance, nobody can actually 'make' music...for after all, we are MADE OF IT - ! However, one exceptional hu-man facility we did manage to nick from the garden, is the capacity to gesture ways of remembrance for this very strange fact of existence. Namely that - MUSIC MAKES US and not the other way around. 

And we do that through the _ficiality of 'sterile' physics of sound, rhythm, harmony in neXus with and all those minor (and major) muses.  The creatI've in us all.

So in some ways, what we call music - is a celebration or confluence of realities.

Kinda amusing really.
But it does beg the question: who's jamming?

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: nichi on April 29, 2008, 12:28:17 AM

Xero, great post! It makes me think of Orpheus, who was said to know the musical keys to the stars. So, maybe this Music that we're made of, in the keys which we've forgotten, is our longing to go home. Maybe the 'm'usic we end up dubbing as 'songs' are the ones, inarticulate and subliminal to us as they are, which tap those Orphean keys. Now if we can only unblock the rest of our amnesia.  (Keep jammin'!)

But this likely did not really address your question. You give much to ponder.

(And by the way, the best poems have music in them, n'est-ce pas?)

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: xero on April 29, 2008, 12:51:59 AM

Well put Nichi.

Ahh yes ...Orpheus. Thank you. What relationship did he have to the Muses, I wonder?

Music in poetry..yes, as you say...a subliminal sound - of a longing to belong - present in all utterances.

'Star in the sky - sky in the star'...
or in pidgin:
'Star belong sky belong star'.

That sorta thing.

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: nichi on April 29, 2008, 12:58:26 AM

Quote

What relationship did he have to the Muses, I wonder?

Son of Calliope, Muse of eloquence and poetry.

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: nichi on April 29, 2008, 01:00:15 AM

(He had a special relationship with animals. When he played, animals would come, charmed. That's neither here nor there: thought you'd be interested.)

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: xero on April 29, 2008, 11:26:16 AM

Oh...I am interested
and it is - here and there and now and then.
No....charming animals is a lot harder than charming humans. They are easy pickings. I would say its a much greater indication of harmony and charm-ony - certainly more so than what regular humans are so proficient at when engaging with nature....harm and harm.

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: nichi on April 29, 2008, 11:41:44 AM

Heheh, I have better luck with the nonhuman furred and feathered, myself.
Only recently, I learned that a great-grandmother of mine was a bit fey herself. Raccoons and deer would come to her in the Florida Everglades.

On the other hand, she was a sharp-shooter and thought nothing of pointing her rifle at the men giving her a lot of nonsense.  :D  She advised my grandmother to shoot her son if he got out of line. God thats funny.

But animals! The angels sing!

Her son (my grandfather.) Why look -- he's a musician:

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: xero on April 29, 2008, 12:02:43 PM

Excellent.

Now...these tea pots.


Being someone who thinks civilization took two major regressive steps with the advent of the flush toilet and the invention of the tea bag...I note your collection of tea pots with interest.

[Though I do doff my hat to Mr. Crapper - for his good intentions - at least.]

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: nichi on April 29, 2008, 12:08:20 PM

Teapots? We are a caravanserie, and here is our chaikhana, eh?  ;)

Though we are mindfully uncomfortable with our comfort, we still need our tea ...

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: nichi on May 09, 2008, 02:39:00 AM

Eyando by Richard Bona and band (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBR5GTzZIJY)

Live and impeccable in Stockholm.


Liberty City (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqjqMjDI0LI)

Solo City.

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: nichi on July 08, 2008, 10:42:59 PM

Interview with RB (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLkWpPvUZO0&feature=related)

Too short, maybe...

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Nichi on April 18, 2009, 06:51:19 AM

http://www.youtube.com/v/AiBwn0c0ETg&hl=en&fs=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiBwn0c0ETg&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/v/80eYpOColWs&hl=en&fs=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80eYpOColWs&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/v/n-ri90gAMeI&hl=en&fs=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-ri90gAMeI&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/v/cHgeQfQVsX8&hl=en&fs=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHgeQfQVsX8&feature=related

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Nichi on April 22, 2009, 01:42:15 AM

http://www.youtube.com/v/PpSZN1aRBSs&hl=en&fs=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpSZN1aRBSs&feature=rec-HM-fresh+div


http://www.youtube.com/v/cSM7SnUF59g&hl=en&fs=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSM7SnUF59g&feature=related

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Nichi on July 09, 2009, 06:12:28 AM

Great sound quality on this one.

http://www.youtube.com/v/jIgOywwA6Bw&hl=en&fs=1&
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIgOywwA6Bw&feature=related

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Nichi on July 20, 2009, 02:50:39 PM

I listen to a lot of non-english music these days -- from the music offered by M to Ecuadorian to Mexican to Cuban to Spanish to Belgian to Farsi to Hebrew to French to an unidentified language of East Cameroon. I can only rarely tell you what the lyrics are saying -- and never word-for-word. This ambiguity would have made me very uncomfortable years ago, but still I persist in listening intuitively. As soon as I freed myself from the English, I've stumbled on some beautiful and interesting music. I push through it all with a kind of trust of my senses instead of my head.

This is a beautiful song, and I think knowing the meaning of it would enhance my appreciation ... but it doesn't appear to be meant to be. I even found a site with Bona himself fielding questions from all over the world, and even he didn't/couldn't offer up the translation. Not to this song, anyway.

So here it is ... I let the doleful singing and piano wash over me. Hope you'll enjoy it too.

Eyala
http://www.youtube.com/v/0Jnjt-dyego&hl=en&fs=1&

Na titi pon ni sonja
Ni ma bole bino ma mbenda
Eyala

ngo ye nde ya ndolo
Nde je pe so e bodi e

Be no peso wala
Se o jana bila
Ba wa nde ba si langue to mbale
to

bana basu mo ba titi njoma bosinga
E mende no be na ba tese babo mbon

Yala Ohh yala ohh
yala ohh yala

ohh

Lambo te mo la nde bila mao
Di toukwe mo di be nde ndolo
Nde be no peso o wala
Se o djana djana bila
Ba wa

nde ba si langwe to mbale
To bana basu mo ba titi njoma bosinga
E mende no be na ba tese babo mbon

Yala ohh yala

ohh
Yala ohh yala ohh


Bona

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Firestarter on July 20, 2009, 03:08:42 PM

Dang this youtube really has good sound! Hes got a beautiful voice, and the piano is heavenly - really good stuff you've been finding vicki.  ;)

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Nichi on December 11, 2009, 07:08:48 AM

Here's a treat: a song from his latest cd, "10 Shades of Blue". YT has thwarted most of the cuts from the cd on this person's channel, but this one survives. Hope you can access it.

Not at all what I expected.

http://www.youtube.com/v/bxkpzxgvVxQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxkpzxgvVxQ

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Nichi on December 11, 2009, 07:19:26 AM

Just want to point out the irony of "copyright restriction".
Presumably, this restriction exists so that the artist may benefit from the proceeds of his/her work. There may be other reasons as well, such as preserving the integrity of sound, etc. etc. But I feel certain it mostly goes to proprietary rights.

As for those "proceeds", here's the irony:  had I not been able to access Richard Bona's tracks, on both Imeem and Youtube, I never would have grown so taken with him that I ended up buying 5 of his cd's! I only rarely buy cd's anymore, and it was through hearing them online that I got so attracted.

So I have a theory, that were these restrictions a little more flexible,  the "artist" just might end up making more money, not less. Funny that, eh?

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Nichi on December 11, 2009, 10:29:12 AM

Another one!

http://www.youtube.com/v/3CHN6P5Jh2A&hl=en_US&fs=1&
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CHN6P5Jh2A&feature=related

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Nichi on December 11, 2009, 11:06:53 AM

Shiva Mantra
http://www.youtube.com/v/1RunIkvWhZ4&hl=en_US&fs=1&

Vocals of Shankar Mahadevan and Nandini Srikar 
Niladiri Kumar sitar

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Nichi on December 12, 2009, 08:09:16 AM

Quote from: Nichi on December 11, 2009, 11:06:53 AM

Shiva Mantra
http://www.youtube.com/v/1RunIkvWhZ4&hl=en_US&fs=1&

Vocals of Shankar Mahadevan and Nandini Srikar 
Niladiri Kumar sitar

The story of Richard Bona is portrayed as a tale of someone who, even as a young boy in East Cameroon, lives and breathes his passion for music. He made his first instruments out of anything he could find -- like the braking-wire of bicycles for guitar strings.  He got his "break" through association with a French night-club owner, and went to France to continue his pursuit. He has toured Europe extensively. He is known as a jazz musician, and in the racks that is where one might find him -- in jazz.

He arrived in New York a few years ago, unable to speak English, but still found his way to the jazz clubs and continued on. He has taught at one of the universities there. He's highly in demand, and highly regarded.

So, 6 months or so ago, I was disappointed to read that his next album was going to be "the blues". The impression from the (p)review was that he was going to explore the blues -- like that born in the southern US. This hardly seemed complex enough for him -- a slow 4/4 timing, 3 or 4-chord progression -- what a step back for him.

But based on these cuts, one can see that that's not at all what's going on, and I'm so happy.  Whoever wrote that preview was sadly under-informed. This is World Music, complete with his own complexity and sense of melody and syncopation. With his joy and elan!

I'm so happy, that I've dispatched my cd-elves to procure it! 

Title: Richard Bona
Post by: Nichi on June 06, 2010, 10:48:37 PM

http://www.youtube.com/v/wX8ojd1C8qM&hl=en_US&fs=1&

Title: Richard Bona
Post by: Nichi on June 06, 2010, 10:58:15 PM

http://www.youtube.com/v/bdYYMn8aDwI&hl=en_US&fs=1&

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Nichi on August 31, 2010, 04:09:17 AM

Souleymane
http://www.youtube.com/v/1yWMLG5tL_o?fs=1

Title: Mike Stern and Richard Bona
Post by: Nichi on August 31, 2010, 04:26:48 AM

I've been hoping that this would show up on youtube.
This is Mike Stern (guitar) and Bona (vocals and guitar) - lovely, soothing tune.  It might be one of those cases where yt yanks it down - it's MS's signature tune, so I've been surprised all this time it hasn't been on. Listen while ya can, iow.

http://www.youtube.com/v/dk97sGJm1jE?fs=1

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Nichi on August 31, 2010, 04:43:40 AM

http://www.youtube.com/v/ECJcr4rbaFs?fs=1

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Michael on September 04, 2010, 08:04:47 PM

Quote from: Nichi on August 31, 2010, 04:09:17 AM

Souleymane
http://www.youtube.com/v/1yWMLG5tL_o?fs=1

He really does have a nice touch.

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Nichi on October 18, 2010, 01:23:36 PM

Kurumalete
http://www.youtube.com/v/wEfZXgMCrZA?fs=1

(Didn't like this at first, but now, I have it on "repeat"...)

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Nichi on October 18, 2010, 01:55:25 PM

On his last cd, there are 2 problems, to my ear.

1.) He did a song called "African Cowboy", which has a country and western shit-kicking beat, along with a banjo, even. I understand he was experimenting, but it's so not him and it sounds awful.

2.) He did another cut in which he sings in English, American blues-style. It did not work. Just hearing him say the words, "Talk to me baby," sent me out of my seat.  There's something which happens, particularly with African artists, when they try to fit in with the US... It drips of decadence and sleaze. And I 'know' that he's reams above "decadent" and sleazy".

Be thyself!

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Michael on October 31, 2010, 09:11:18 PM

very pleasant piece

Title: Re: Richard Bona
Post by: Nichi on April 19, 2017, 08:28:26 AM

https://www.youtube.com/v/FPROzZgOkyo

While I wasn't looking, he made 2 other albums- one called "Bonafied", which is very French-influenced, and the more recent one, "Heritage", which is Cuban-influenced, from which this cut is culled.