Chino Moreno facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chino Moreno
Moreno with Deftones at River City Rockfest in San Antonio, 2014
Background information
Birth name	Camillo Wong Moreno
Born	(1973-06-20) June 20, 1973 (age 52) Sacramento, California, U.S.
Genres	Alternative metal alternative rock experimental rock post-metal post-hardcore art rock electronic rock nu metal
Occupation(s)	Singer musician songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1988–present

Camillo "Chino" Wong Moreno (born June 20, 1973) is an American musician. He is best known as the lead singer and main songwriter for the rock band Deftones. He is also part of other music groups like Team Sleep, Crosses, and Palms.

Moreno is famous for his strong singing voice and unique screams. In 2007, he was named one of the "Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time" by Hit Parader magazine.

Early Life

Moreno was born in Sacramento, California. He was the second of five children in his family. His mother has both Mexican and Chinese roots, and his father is Mexican. His nickname "Chino" means "Chinese" in Spanish. His uncles gave him this name when he was a kid because he looked more Asian than most people of Mexican descent.

He grew up in the Oak Park area of Sacramento. He went to McClatchy High School, where he met Abe Cunningham and Stephen Carpenter. Together, they started the band Deftones in 1988. Before becoming a full-time musician, Moreno worked in the shipping department at Tower Records.

Music Career

Deftones: The Main Band

Around 1988, Chino Moreno started playing music regularly with his friends Abe Cunningham and Stephen Carpenter. This led to them forming the band Deftones. Within two years, they began playing shows in clubs. A record company called Maverick Records signed them after seeing them perform in Los Angeles.

Their first album, Adrenaline, came out in 1995. It was produced by Terry Date. The album slowly gained fans through touring and online buzz. This helped Adrenaline sell over 220,000 copies, even without much radio or MTV play for their songs.

In 1997, they released Around the Fur. The band spent more time on this album's sound and production. This record was highly anticipated and made Deftones very popular in the alternative metal music scene. Songs like "My Own Summer (Shove It)" and "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)" were played on the radio and MTV.

White Pony was released in 2000. It received great reviews and became very successful. Frank Delgado joined the band full-time, adding new sounds to their music. Chino Moreno also played guitar on some songs. This album was a big step for the band, as they experimented with new wave, dream pop, and trip hop sounds. Songs like "Change (In the House of Flies)" and "Digital Bath" were popular. Deftones won a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2001 for their song "Elite".

In 2001, Moreno had some voice problems from heavy screaming and had to miss a few shows. Doctors told him to rest his voice. Despite this, he continued to sing the softer parts of songs while their bassist, Chi Cheng, helped with the screaming parts.

The band's self-titled album, Deftones, came out in 2003. It was praised for being heavy, original, and showing the band's growth. In 2005, they released B-Sides & Rarities, which included unreleased and rare songs from 1995 onwards.

Moreno at Hellfest 2018

Their 2006 album, Saturday Night Wrist, was difficult to make. Chino Moreno later said it was a "seriously unhealthy experience." He wasn't sure if he would return to the band at one point. After finishing the album, Moreno said it was a mix of all the band members' ideas. It combined their heavy sound from earlier albums with the more experimental style of White Pony.

Deftones were working on a new album called Eros. However, in November 2008, their bassist Chi Cheng was in a serious car accident. He was badly injured and sadly passed away in April 2013. In 2009, the band brought in Sergio Vega to replace Chi. They decided to put Eros on hold because they felt it didn't represent them anymore.

With Sergio Vega, the band started working on a new album, Diamond Eyes, which was released on May 4, 2010. It featured popular songs like "Rocket Skates" and "Diamond Eyes". In November 2012, Deftones released their seventh album, Koi No Yokan. Songs like "Tempest" were released as singles. Their eighth album, Gore, came out in 2016. In 2020, Deftones released their ninth album, Ohms, which received excellent reviews.

Other Music Projects

While working on Deftones' White Pony album, Chino Moreno also started a side project called Team Sleep. This group released their first album in May 2005.

In March 2011, Moreno announced another new project called Crosses. He formed it with Far guitarist Shaun Lopez and Chuck Doom. Moreno described the music as "minimal and soothing," like the kind of music he enjoys when he's not screaming. Their first short album, EP 1, came out in August 2011, followed by EP 2 the next year.

In April 2012, it was announced that Moreno had joined former Isis members Jeff Caxide, Aaron Harris, and Bryant Clifford Meyer in a side project called Palms. Their first album was released on June 25, 2013.

In April 2016, Moreno joined a supergroup called Saudade. This band included guitarist Dr. Know from Bad Brains, drummer Mackie Jayson, jazz keyboardist John Medeski, and bassist Chuck Doom. They released their first song on April 28, 2016.

Moreno has also been a guest singer on many songs by other bands. Some of these include "Bender" by Sevendust and "Caviar" by Dance Gavin Dance. In 2009, he recorded a song with Thirty Seconds to Mars, and in 2010, he performed "The Kill" with them live.

In June 2016, Chino Moreno performed at Thrihnukagigur in Iceland. This was a special concert held inside the magma chamber of a volcano, making it the first public concert ever held in such a place!

In 2019, Moreno was asked to create the music for an episode of Hulu's Into the Dark horror series. The episode was called "I'm Just F*cking with You."

Musical Style

Moreno playing guitar in 2013

Chino Moreno's singing style is influenced by artists like Mike Patton from Faith No More, H.R. from Bad Brains, Morrissey from The Smiths, and Prince. His musical tastes are very broad, including electronic bands like Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) and Depeche Mode.

He also enjoys bands like the Cure, Bad Brains, PJ Harvey, the Smiths, My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, Public Enemy, Duran Duran, the Smashing Pumpkins, Portishead, Helmet, Jawbox, Faith No More, Slayer, Hum, Alice in Chains, Tool, Girls Against Boys, Jane's Addiction, and Weezer.

Moreno's lyrics are often poetic and can have many meanings. He has said that his lyrics don't always focus on specific topics. Instead, he writes down his feelings at the moment. He also explained that his writing is a reaction to the music Deftones creates, which is not usually happy or pop-like.

Collaborations

Chino Moreno has worked with many other artists and bands throughout his career. Here are some of his collaborations:

• "Wicked" – with Korn (1996)
• "Savory" – with Far (1997)
• "Will To Die" – with Strife (1997)
• "First Commandment" – with Soulfly (1998)
• "Bender" – with Sevendust (1999)
• "(Rock) Superstar" – with Cypress Hill (2000)
• "Pain" – with Soulfly (2000)
• "Ashamed" – with Tommy Lee (2002)
• "Dangergirl (Legwork Mix)" – with Tinfed (2003)
• "Feed the World (Do They Know It's Christmas)" – with Far and various artists (2003)
• "The Hours" – with Handsome Boy Modeling School (2004)
• "Red Sky" – with Thrice (live performance, 2005)
• "Paralytic" and "Crashing Down" – with Dead Poetic (2006)
• "Zombie Eaters" – with Ill Niño (2006)
• "Rock for Light" – with Bad Brains (2006)
• "Fistful of Nothing" – with Atomic Six (2007)
• "Vengeance is Mine" – with Droid (2007)
• "Keep Calm and Carry On" – with Zach Hill (2008)
• "Wall" – with Wagdug Futuristic Unity (2008)
• "Caviar" – with Dance Gavin Dance (2008)
• "Surrender Your Sons..." – with Norma Jean (2008)
• "Reprogrammed To Hate" – with Whitechapel (2010)
• "Only One" – with Methods of Mayhem (2010)
• "If I Could" – with Tech N9ne (2011)
• "Right Outside" – with Anthony Green (2012)
• "RAZORS.OUT" – with Mike Shinoda and Joseph Trapanese (2012)
• "Hexes" – with Bassnectar and Tomandandy (2012)
• "Embers" – with Lamb of God (2015)
• "Brief Exchange" – from Dark Nights: Metal soundtrack (2018)
• "Lift Off" – with Mike Shinoda featuring Machine Gun Kelly (2018)
• "Disparan (Fill the Skies)" – with Como Asesinar a Felipes (2018)
• "Shadows & Light (featuring Chelsea Wolfe)" – with Saudade (2019)
• "Hit Me Where It Hurts (Toro y Moi Remix)" – with Caroline Polachek (2020)
• "Geronimo" – with Trippie Redd (2021)
• "Anti-Life" – with HEALTH (2021)
• "Bloodbath" – with Polyphia (2022)

Moreno also appeared in the music video for "Carpe Diem" by the band Will Haven. In 2007, he helped produce their album The Hierophant. He also made a short appearance in Limp Bizkit's music video for their 1997 song "Counterfeit."

Personal Life

Chino Moreno has been married twice. He was married to his first wife, Celeste Schroeder, from 1994 to 2006, and they have two children together. In 2012, he married his second wife, Risa-Mora Moreno, and they have one daughter. Since 2013, Moreno and his family have lived in Bend, Oregon.

Moreno used to smoke for many years but stopped in 2007.

Discography

With Deftones

• Adrenaline (1995)
• Around the Fur (1997)
• White Pony (2000)
• Deftones (2003)
• Saturday Night Wrist (2006)
• Eros (recorded in 2008 but not released)
• Diamond Eyes (2010)
• Koi No Yokan (2012)
• Gore (2016)
• Ohms (2020)

With Team Sleep

• Team Sleep (2005)
• Woodstock Sessions Vol. 4 (2015)

With Crosses

• EP 1 (2011)
• EP 2 (2012)
• Crosses (2014)
• Permanent Radiant (2022)
• Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete. (2023)

With Palms

• Palms (2013)