Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/537300
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 5 JULY 2015 This Week 31 Could you tell us a little bit about your early years? What kind of circumstances led you to pursue music as a career? I was just born surrounded by musicians… My grandfather, my mother, and some of my uncles, were all musicians. Therefore I was not really pursuing a career – we were just having fun and celebrating life. What did music mean to you as a child, and what does it mean to you now? What kind of lengths did you have to go to secure a full- time career in music? Music meant everything to me, from day one. Without it I probably would not even be here. I never looked at this journey as a 'career': I am secure if I am playing. This is a passion to me, so everything I went through was great experi- ence. And there are still plenty of experiences to come. How would you describe your time in Paris and New York? Apart from the (apparent) shift in lifestyle, what kind of impact did moving to these places have on your music? New York is great when it comes to music, Paris is great when it comes to lifestyle (gas- tronomy, culture, literature). What are some of the most important developments of your musical career? All of my albums, and all of my collaborations are important to me as they helped me learn more. Because this is what it all comes down to: learning, because music is a never-ending school that I'll keep frequenting until the day that I die. What do you make of the Malta Jazz Festival? Are you looking forward to performing there again? I can't wait to get to Malta. I discovered the place the last time I performed here in 2010, and I fell in love with the great mix you have here: great people and good food. Cameroon-born and Grammy-nominated guitarist Richard Bona speaks to TEODOR RELJIC ahead of his second performance at the Malta Jazz Festival, which he will be re-visiting this year after his participation in the 2010 edition Malta Jazz Festival – the programme The Malta Jazz Festival will be taking place over July 16-19 at Ta' Liesse, Valletta at 20:00. For more information log on to: www.maltajazzfestival.org. THURSDAY JULY 16 Kris Spiteri Noir Project Line-up: Kris Spiteri – piano, Edward Ellul – bass, Alex Debono – drums. John Cohn Quartet Featuring Yutaka Shiina Line-up: Joe Cohn – guitar, Yutaka Shiina – piano, Darryl Hall - double bass/bass, Lionel Boccara – drums Kurt Elling Passion World Line-up: Kurt Elling – vocals FRIDAY JULY 17 Anthony Camilleri Quartet Line-up: Anthony Camilleri – piano, Rino Cirinna - tenor sax, Matyas Szandai - double bass and Fred Pasqua – drums David Binney Avenija Line-up: David Binney - saxophone, Pedja Milutinovic - drummer, Pera Krstajic - bass, piano Chris Potter Line-Up: Dave Holland – bass, Chris Potter – saxophone,, Lionel Loueke – guitar/vocals, Eric Harland – drummer SATURDAY JULY 18 The Fringe Youth Jazz Ensemble Line-up: Alessandro Bottacchiari – trumpet, Carlo Muscat – tenor sax, Andrea Andreoli – trombone, Matteo Mesiti - baritone sax, Warren Galea – guitar, Ermanno Novali – piano, Alan Portelli – bass, Manuel Pulis – drums, Gabriele Comeglio - alto sax, arrangements, direction, Claudio Angeleri – composition Children of The Light Line-up: Danilo Perez – piano, John Patitucci – bass, Brian Blade - drums Chucho Valdes Irakere 40 Line-up: Chucho Valdés – piano, Yaroldy Abreu Robles – percussion/vocals, Dreiser Durruthy Bombalé – batás/ lead vocals, Rodney Barreto – drums/ vocals, Gastón Joya - double bass/vocals, Manuel Machado – trumpet, Ariel Bringuez – tenor sax, Alexander Abreu – trumpet/ vocals, Rafael Águila – alto sax, Reinaldo Melián – trumpet SUNDAY JULY 19 3rd edition of The Malta Jazz Contest Soweto Kinch Quartet Richard Bona Richard Bona: "Music is a never-ending school" 'Without music, I wouldn't even be here' Richard Bona is a bass player, composer, bandleader, one- of-a-kind singer songwriter, and self-producing digital and analog engineer. Behind these achievements lies a storybook life. Born in a village in Cameroon in 1967, Bona took up the wooden-slatted balafon at age five. At 11, he moved to the capital Douala, where he became an in-demand dance band guitarist before discovering, and quickly mastering, the language of jazz – at 14. Bona moved to Paris in 1989, and subsequently New York in 1995, establishing himself in both cities. And all this before he began his solo recording career with 'Scenes from My Life' in 1999. In 2005 Bona released his fourth solo album Tiki, which included a collaboration with John Legend on one track, entitled 'Please Don't Stop'. The album was nominated for Best Contemporary World Music Album at the 49th Grammy Awards. That career now culminates in Bona's eight solo album, 'Bonafied', a mostly acoustic, multi-genre set of songs full of personal stories, tributes, a philosophy based on lifelong love of nature, and a spirit of musical adventurism that just won't quit. Richard Bona – a storybook life