Richard Bona Greatest Gig is as a Musician’s Musician
Richard Bona has long been one of the world’s most influential and respected musicians. It’s why interviews with him can be interrupted by calls from the likes of Quincy Jones. But a year ago, Bona, along with restaurateur Laurent Dantonio, began an endeavor that might spread his positive influence even further.
This weekend, Bona and Dantonio are celebrating the one-year anniversary of Club Bonafide on East 52nd Street in New York City, and for any business to make it that long in the Big Apple is an accomplishment worthy of a party. Tonight, Bona will be having that party as he plays with his band, Mandekan Cubano, in advance of the release of their album, Heritage, on September 16.
“It’s been a good year,” Bona said. “It’s great because it’s a nice place and a good place for musicians to perform. In order to do anything, you need to get your feet into the dirt and start doing it and understand the nature of that business. I never owned a club before, so there were some things I never saw coming.”
One was the idea that having food in a club always helps the bottom line. But food and music wasn’t exactly the marriage the Cameroon native was picturing.
“It’s something that always bothered me in clubs when people are eating while listening to music,” he said. “I’m playing a…
