Bonny B.

Bonny B. playing the harmonica.

Bonny B. (born Su Pheaktra Bonnyface Chanmongkhon, July 20, 1974, Cambodia) is a Cambodian-French blues musician and harmonica player.[1]

Life

In 1978, his family fled Cambodia pursued by the Khmer Rouge, he and his family took refuge in the jungle near the Thai border.[1] After three days and three nights running, and with no food, they finally found safety in Thailand. In 1979, with the help of Catholic sisters, the family arrived in Fribourg (Switzerland) and asks for political asylum . He started school in 1980, and fought to be accepted and to find a place in the community.

It is from 1988 to 1991, when he was in high school, that he started to like the harmonica and country music, "this time I copied and listened to many country CDs." One day, the school organizes a day of entertainment, "they hired two bluesmen including one playing the harmonica and the blues came like that. My first CDs were by John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters and Little Walter, Jimmy Reed, Otis Rush, and all the old black bluesmen of the 50s. " Leaving the school, from 1992 to 1995 Bonny trained in making pastries and candy, an activity that will allow him to support himself, but the music is playing an increasingly important in his life.

In 1992 he formed his first band "Bonny B. and Spirit of the Blues" and they played their first gig two months after they met. Then followed "Born To Blues" in 1994, "Bonny B. Blues Band" in 1996 and "Bonny B. Band" in 1998. On the side, he also played in a duo with his brother Michael on guitar. He was also engaged as a sideman with, among others, Tom Cat Blake, JC Little, Kevin Flynn. With these various formations, he plays 50 to 100 concerts a year in Switzerland and abroad.

In 1994 he opened a school for harmonica and singing. In May 1998, Bonny decides to go to Chicago in search of the blues, "I had to travel there as a pilgrimage." Speaking almost no English, he was no impressed so far and finds himself "jamming" with Louisiana Red, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Johnson, Kenny Neal, John Primer, Bernard Allison or at clubs such as the legendary Blue Chicago, The Buddy Guy's Legend or Koko Taylor's. Short of money, he played in bars and on the streets of Chicago to pay for his return ticket.

Also in 1999, Bonny decided to record an album. He teamed up with his old friend, drummer Sal Lombardo, and with guitarist Laurent Poget. This collaboration will result in the album "CAMBODIA", released in Switzerland in March 2000. March 2001, he released the album in Europe on Dixie Frog in the name of "Something's Wrong." It is also found in several blues compilations (notably "Levis, Blues 2002 compilation"). In 2002, Bonny B. worked with several American artists like Vic Pitts, Michael J. Robinson, Jesse James King, Sugar Blue, Mark Woodward, Napoleon Washington. In March 2003, he released his second album, "If This Is Life" and signed with the famous label Universal Music and its sponsor "Hohner Harmonica." "We told him that he is one of the best harmonica players and singers from Switzerland. Bonny B. has no equal to breathe the warmth of blues concerts in Switzerland or abroad."

In October 2004, Bonny B. reached the rate of 120 concerts per year. He signed his 1000th contract and then traveled throughout Switzerland. In the Spring of 2005, he released his third album "I Got The Blues" under the Dixie Frog label and Hard Board. In 2005, he released his debut album "CAMBODIA" ("Something's Wrong") in the U.S. and Canada with the Dixie Frog label. Claude Nobs discovered the last album by Bonny B. and asks him to play at the Montreux Jazz Festival with Alice Cooper. On the side, he decided to explore the blues in public schools, secondary and colleges throughout western Switzerland, as part of educational concerts on the history and evolution of the blues. 2006 : Bonny B. planned to open a school in Cambodia for underprivileged children, financed by the sale of his latest album and concert support.

2007: during his tour "James Brown Tour" (press nicknamed the "Asian James Brown"), Bonny B. changed the name of the artist, he called himself Bonny B. Brown to honor one of its masters. . November 2007, the start of construction of the school in Cambodia. Bonny B. has garnered support for his concerts to the sum of 35 000 Swiss Francs to complete the project. 2008: Bonny B. was hired as manager for harmonica workshops (by Hohner Harmonica) in all its music stores in Switzerland. He formed his first Gospel Choir of the IRF-GOSPEL SINGERS and organizes Gospel Singing on Stage GIEZ. Bonny B. was hired as a teacher at the harmonica blues school ETM in Geneva .

2009: February 28, Bonny B. embarked on a bet to become the only harmonica player in the world to play the harmonica for 24 hours non-stop for the Guinness World Records . All this was to raise money for his school in Cambodia. Bonny B. Blues Club opened its first in Fribourg where he organized Blues concerts with American artists.

2010 : Bonny B. Blues Club opens its second, the "Rock Bottom Blues & Jazz Club" in Giez in collaboration with Fabienne Decker. In March Bonny B. recorded his 8th album which was produced in collaboration with Bob Margolin . He created a Blues Festival in Giez from the 10-11-12 of September.

2011 : Tours with the first edition of the BLUES LEGEND TOUR with Finis Tasby-Bob Margolin-Dave Riley- Bob Stroger. He releases a new album, BONNY B. "Live at Blues Club Fribourg".

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Une Histoire, Un Bluesman: Bonny B." (PDF). Chablaisblues.ch. Retrieved November 2013.

External links