Chaino fools
“CHAINO AFRICANA” on Dot Records. “Spellbinding primitive rhythms by Chaino, percussion genious of Africa”. The music here and from other Chaino records is on a CD reissue called “Chaino Africana and Beyond”.
Chaino is one of the elusive figures of space age pop. After growing up in Chicago, Leon Johnson left home and lived a fairly wild life, eventually taking up the bongos and making a name for himself as “Chaino” (taken perhaps from the great Cuban conga player, Chano Pozo?) on the “chitlins” circuit of black nightclubs. In the late 1950s, he went to Hollywood and met producer Kirby Allan, who had recently been inspired by African tribal music during a trip to Kenya. Allan and Johnson went into the famed Gold Star studio in early 1958 to try to create an American-ized version. They eventually succeeded in getting jazz impresario Norman Granz to release some of these cuts on the luridly-titled, Jungle Mating Rhythms. At the same time, they were able to sell tracks to three different small West Coast jazz labels, Score, Tampa, and Omega, and all four albums were released virtually simultaneously. A few months later, Allan signed with the Silent Majority label, Dot (home to Lawrence Welk for a fifth album, Africana. A sixth album, Temptation, was recorded for Omega but was barely out the door before the label went bankrupt. — Space Age Pop
(53 votes, average: 4.77 out of 5)
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July 19th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
WOW! Three of the world’s Greatest LP Album Covers” on your list. I am overwhelmed. Thanks so much. Chaino would have loved to have seen this. As his producer, being concerned about some misinformation about the order in which all Chaino’s LP’s were licensed, and released, I gave “Space Age Pop” the correct order. You guys are destined to be the sweetheart of the world of record collectors. Best to you, Kirby Allan
October 20th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
The cover reminds me of that UPA’ish animated “come to the snack bar” ad for Dr. Pepper ( which you can see on YouTube…great Mundo Absurdo stuff ).
June 6th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Kirby…I hope you see this.
It is Jerri. We used to email a lot. I hope you remember. I have ALL of Chaino’s albums! Got them when I was in my late teens (I am 66 now), and I will never part with them. I met a Conga band yesterday. Thier music is similiar, but they never heard Chaino. I am trying to introduce them to the music. Please contact me. graceslick63@yahoo.com. I have been wondering about you for the past few years.
Jerri
November 2nd, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Jerri, I tried to email you, but it didn’t take. email me at ExoticaAndBeyond@aol.com
November 2nd, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Grace you can put my name on google.com and get me there also. Kirby