Genrebender #2:Reverence

Jason Moreira STAFF WRITER

Let me get this out of the way right off the bat. I think Richard Bona is the man. He is a humble person, a brilliant collaborator, and an incredible musician. As a bassist myself, I aspire to his greatness.

In Reverence, his sophomore album, Bona mixes influences and dabbles in diverging styles, never to detriment to the piece as a whole. If I had to describe Reverence in a word, I would break the rules and use three—this is without a doubt a lively, sensitive, and most of all, fresh album.

A native of Cameroon, Bona is an accomplished bassist first and foremost, but he also plays guitar, keyboard, balafon (an African pentatonic marimba of sorts), and several percussion instruments, nearly all of which are showcased throughout the album.

Bona mixes his central Jazz/Rock fusion influences (ala legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius from Weather Report) with his traditional African roots, and supplements them with a supple Latin rhythmic garnish that gives several tracks an incredible sense of pure, laid-back groove. There is occasional string orchestration that seldom seems overpowering and doesn't impede on what could be described as Reverence's 'less is more' philosophy.

The eerie and sparsely arranged Invocation (A Prophesy) is as chilling as it is beautiful. Bona's high, nimble tenor, punctuated by a handful of deep drum pulses and a nearly inaudible sonic background makes for an immersive and intimate listening experience. I feel as though, when I listen, that he is whispering something to me, softly, but with great purpose, and that I need bend my ear a little closer, and a little closer still, if I am to hear every word. I am so drawn to the sound of his voice—the sound of a pure, unadultered human voice—I think, precisely because I can't understand a single thing he says. Bona sings in his native Douala for the entirety of the album.

Ekwa Mwato is my favorite song on Reverence, if only for its great brass-powered hook in the choruses. The Latin rhythmic influence is felt throughout, and provides the track with a sense of constant motion that really brings out both the fluid contrast of the backing vocals, as well as Edsel Gomez' simple but phenomenal piano playing.

Bisso Baba comes immediately after Invocation (A Prophesy), and breaks the tension perfectly with a soft but well grounded bass line that's supported by effortless guitar playing and garnished with interspersed keyboards.

Mbanga Kumba (Two Cities, One Train) starts drowsily, but kicks into high gear halfway through, showcasing Bona's incredible bass chops. (Check out the groove from 1:55-2:07 !!)

All in all, I think this is a really great album to listen to when you're by yourself, chilling out, so you can take the time to appreciate the subtleties it contains. You can also check out Richard Bona's most recent album Tiki, which I actually like considerably less than this one, which is his sophomore album. He also has a live album from 2008 that I have yet to hear.
Enjoy the tracks! And as always, use decent headphones or speakers!

~JMo

Richard Bona - Invocation (A Prophesy).mp3
Richard Bona - Mbanga Kumba (Two Cities, One Train).mp3