Chaino

Biography

Leon "Chaino" Johnson, known as the self-styled "percussion genius of Africa," was an American bongo player born in Philadelphia but raised in Chicago. He gained popularity with listeners of exotica music in the late 1950s and early 1960s, releasing several albums alongside record producer Kirby Allan. Chaino's unique sound was marked by a fictional backstory as an orphan from a lost tribe in central Africa, which he portrayed in his album promotions.