African musician Richard Bona places working with Weather Report’s Joe Zawinul as the greatest collaborator he has ever worked with.
Bona, who has also recorded with R&B star John Legend, says he learns from everyone by learnt the most from Zawinul. “You learn from everyone you ever play with,” Richard tells Undercover News. “If you open your hear and open your eyes, you learn from everyone. I’ve worked with Pat Metheny and George Benson, they all had different interpretations, but if I have to name one person then that is Joe Zawinful from Weather Report.”
Through Zawinful, who passed away in 2007, Cameroon born Bona discovered Jaco Pastorius, another great Weather Report musician who died in 1987.
He also once graced the pop world with a collaboration with John Legend. “I wrote a song, his name came up, I listened to his music and had the kind of song he was singing. I called him up and he knew my work. He came down to the studio and we recorded it,” he says. The song was ‘Please Don’t Stop’ from his 2005 ‘Tiki’ album.
Richard Bona will be in Australia for the first time in November.
Dates are:
November 24, Sydney, The Basement
November 25, Melbourne, Recital Centre
November 26, 27, 28, Adelaide, International Guitar Festival
