Where was Chaino born?
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
When did Chaino die?
July 8, 1999
What is Chaino's occupation?
Musician
What genre is Chaino's work?
Exotica
What instruments does Chaino play?
Bongos
Short Biography
Leon "Chaino" Johnson (1927 – July 8, 1999), the self-styled "percussion genius of Africa, " was an American bongo player. After touring for several years on the Chitlin' Circuit, he released several albums and became popular with listeners of exotica music in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In the promotion of his albums, a fictional biography was developed, depicting Chaino as an orphan from a lost tribe in central Africa who had been rescued by a missionary after his tribe had been massacred. Chaino was actually born in Philadelphia and raised in Chicago.