There is as much African spirit in Ghana as in Morocco. Mr. Weston has played with the Moroccan master musicians of Jajouka, and with Gnawas from the southern Sahara. It is our past as well as our future. African music is more present in our lives than ever. Blues, samba, calypso, reggae, salsa, jazz - Africa is everywhere.
Music plays an essential social role in West African village life.
By the age of 7, Richard Bona was playing weddings, funerals and feasts in his native village in Cameroon on a self-made guitar. When he was 14, he heard that a Frenchman in the nearby town of Douala wanted to start a jazz club. Although he knew next to nothing about jazz, Mr. Bona, a fast learner, was recommended. He learned enough listening full-time to the Frenchman's large LP collection to open in three weeks. Eventually, Mr. Bona moved to New York.