Honestly, before popping in this CD, I knew very little of Richard Bona. I knew he was from East Cameroon, could play multiple instruments and his new album, 'Tiki' featured a Grammy winner, but that was about it. What I do know is that Bona draws his inspiration and sound from a collaboration of several cultures including African and Latin. Okay, I can dig both of those. With that mindset, I decided to play it safe and listen to lead off track, "Please Don't Stop," featuring John Legend singing over a nice horn section to help retain some jazz flavor. There's also a brief introduction to Bona's voice, but when ballad "Kivu" hit my ears, I could hear his smooth voice a bit clearer. The track is over a minute long, but is quite powerful.

There is no absence of the Latin influence either. It's heard throughout several tracks including "Dipama," "O Sen Sen Sen" (accordion addition gives it a throwback and induces a Spanish Harlem vibe) and "Samaouma," which actually seems to mix in a bit of African rhythms in the beginning. As "Samaouma" progresses, the Latin mood blends in nicely with the tenor voice that is whispering some type of chant.

Individual instrumentation is highlighted on several tracks, but the one really worth mentioning is "Three Women." Beautifully orchestrated with minimal vocals, the strings are both haunting and calming. The crescendos are met by the bass guitar that takes listeners on an emotional journey. At times, "Three Women" appears slow and reflective before becoming a series of intense sections carried out by the collaboration of cellos and violins.

Up tempo jams also reveal themselves on 'Tiki,' including songs "O Beta O Siba" (very sweet) and "Manyaka O Brazil," which features Djavan, whose voice provides contrast to Bona's tone. Classic jazz is given a respectful nod in "Esoka Bulu." This track is one that I remembered the next day. The combination of the soft, warm piano and the brush tap of the drums provide a relaxed foundation for the vocals to give a proper tribute to the roots of jazz. Percussion is also essential to this entire album, but on "Akwa Samba YaYa." the drums give spice to the enchanted beginning. I honestly think this track should have been a bit longer. It's one you enjoy and start to feel halfway into the song. Actually, a whole song with strictly percussion is what I found missing from the album.

'Tiki' is a chill type album that you'd throw on at a small gathering or romantic night. Bona's spirit and respect for various musical cultures is reflected throughout. This CD deserves a place on the world music charts. Even with the language barrier between the lyrics and my ears, I still found this to be a good listen. That barrier forced me to pay closer attention to the music and hear the isolation of the instruments. Perhaps I should venture outside of my comfy music zone a little more often.