Reginald Policard and Richard Bona, Melancolia Review
by J. Pepper
As the original instrument, vocals in world music are always a fascinating listen, especially with Reginald Policard and Richard Bona. Bona is a Cameroon-born Grammy-Winning vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. Policard is a Haitian Grammy-Nominated pianist and composer. The joining of sounds from both heritages yields a unique world music experience incorporating African, Smooth Jazz, and Caribbean for their new single “Melancolia.”
“Melancolia” has a gorgeous melody sung by Bona. His tone is light, and his pitch is spot-on. One can also hear a slight accent in his sound, which adds even more buzz to the world music stage. Ludwing Alfonso keeps an African-based drum beat, while Yoel Delsol colors with Caribbean rhythms on percussion.
The songwriting is rich with texture, and Policard’s piano playing has elements of both Caribbean and African influences. His solo is highly melodic and keeps the world music theme alive.
Guitarist Aaron Lebos turns in a jazz influenced solo that adds a fresh sound to the mix. His rhythmic support during the vocals also helps build texture.
The high point is Bona’s angelic voice; though the melody has no lyrics, the syllables chosen are critical to the notes Bona chooses to accentuate within each phrase.
Reginald Policard and Richard Bona have given us the gift of “Melancolia” so that we can enjoy the beauty of their musical talents from around the world.
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