Camillo "Chino" Wong Moreno[1][2] (born June 20, 1973) is an American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band Deftones.

[5] The nickname "Chino" is the Spanish-language term for Chinese people, a moniker "given to him as a kid by his uncles because he looked predominantly Asian, when most Mexicans are mestizo.

"[6] He grew up in the Oak Park area and attended C. K. McClatchy High School,[7] where he met Abe Cunningham and Stephen Carpenter, with whom he founded Deftones in 1988.

[7] Circa 1988, Moreno started jamming regularly with his middle-school friends Abe Cunningham and Stephen Carpenter, leading to the formation of Deftones.

While the album wasn't an instant success, extensive touring, word-of-mouth, and Internet promotion built the band a dedicated fan base, as well as helping Adrenaline to sell over 220,000 copies without the singles "7 Words" and "Bored" (as well as their music videos) receiving any airplay.

The record was highly anticipated and propelled Deftones to fame in the alternative metal scene on the strength of radio and MTV airplay for the singles "My Own Summer (Shove It)" and "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)".

[9] The eponymous Deftones was released in 2003, and saw the band being praised for the heavy album's progression and originality in the midst of declining creativity in contemporary metal.

After eventually finishing the album in early 2006, Moreno claimed it to be more of a compromise between all of the members' influences, ranging from their brutal and brooding heavy signature seen on Adrenaline and Around the Fur to the more experimental sound heard on White Pony and Deftones.

In 2009, the group had recruited Sergio Vega for his replacement and announced an indefinite delay of Eros, stating "... we realized that this record doesn't best encompass and represent who we are currently as people and as musicians.

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 by the name of Palms.

In June 2016, the Secret Solstice music festival announced that Moreno would perform at Thrihnukagigur in what will be the first ever public concert inside the magma chamber of a volcano.

[22] His musical influences consist of a wide range of styles and genres, including the electronic bands OMD, Depeche Mode, Thompson Twins and the Human League.

[23] Other inspirations include 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, Kool Keith, Alice in Chains, Tool, Girls Against Boys, Jane's Addiction and Weezer.

[citation needed] For Revolver he selected five non-metal records that influenced him: the Cure's Pornography, Helium's No Guitars, Mogwai's EP+2, My Bloody Valentine's Loveless and the Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream.

[24] He also made a list of his thirteen favourite albums for The Quietus, containing Small Craft on a Milk Sea by Brian Eno, Sunset Mission by Bohren und der Club of Gore, Fever Ray's self-titled album, Venus Luxure No.1 Baby by Girls Against Boys, Turn on the Bright Lights by Interpol, You'd Prefer an Astronaut by Hum, Saturdays = Youth by M83, Black Noise by Pantha du Prince, Love Deluxe by Sade, Talkie Walkie by Air, Born to Mack by Too Short, The Blue Moods of Spain by Spain and Standards by Tortoise.

"[26] Regarding the influence of female artists such as PJ Harvey, Moreno said he was aware that people considered him to be gay, adding, "I really love girly stuff.