Flashmag Issue 126 February 2022 | Page 29

If Bens Belinga inherited from these elders a technique in the mastery of his instrument , in his early years , very early on he developed his own style by showcasing his African origins in what some art critics will call Bantu Jazz or Afro Jazz . His torrid sounds inspired by the clamor of the tropics , kept this expressive sense that questioned the depths of your senses . Christian Bourdon , who for many years was his producer , adds that Ben ' s Belinga was gifted and always surprised with his instrument . Laurent Evini who accompanied him several times on the bass guitar a rms that Ben ' s Belinga was not only tall in size , but also and above all in his talent and his generosity in the work , he was a hard worker who liked to be close to the perfection . He adds he was a beast of the stage with lungs of steel and a unique phrasing
For guitarist Paolo Pondy , his death is a great loss for music as he thinks , he still had a lot to give given the experience he has accumulated over decades . While Bens ’ Belinga had already taken his first steps in music in his native country , surfing the stages of Yaoundé , including the famous cabaret le Philanthrope , in the neighborhood called Mvog Ada , after a brief stay in Côte d ' Ivoire his older brother Mekongo president invites him to a series of concerts , in France in 1975 . Bens Belinga will divide his time between studies in lutherie making wooden musical instruments , and music which will ultimately take up most of his time . In France he will find the benchmarks essential to his artistic development attending the Paris Conservatory .
Ben ' s Belinga Quartet on stage with Laurent Evini and George Edouard Nouel Flashmag ! Issue 126 February 2022

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