Salvador 'Tchando' Embalo comes from a small country on the west coast of Africa, named Guinea-Bissau. He grew up in the town Bafata. Born in a Fulani tribe, (father's side) surrounded by the Mandinka traditions, Tchando expresses the fusion of these two great cultures.
 
As a child, Tchando learned to play "talking drums", and two and three strings "guitars" Mola and Hoddo, all traditional Fulani instruments. Tchando then moved to the capital Bissau where he learned to play the six stringed guitar, which has now become his main instrument. The district where he lived was mainly Mandinka dominated and he quickly learned, among others, how to play the Cutil N'Dium and the Cutil Ba drums so well that he was hired as a musician at different Mandinka ceremonies.
 
But Tchando was not only interested in his music. He is also a big supporter of justice. He was very much aware of, and disturbed by his own country's human rights violations. Therefore Tchando stood up and defied the government of Guinea-Bissau. He paid for this defiance with a gloomy two years in prison (1977/1979). Amnesty International had to intervene and put pressure on Guinea-Bissau's government, which finaly tried Tchando and some of his friends in a military court, twenty months after being detained on charges of treason.
 
In 1982, Tchando moved to Portugal where he started his professional carreer. Here, Tchando made recordings with the singer Fernando de Carvalho, participated in the band Issabary (founded and named by himself) and several others.
For three years (1985-1988), Tchando worked as a session musician in Paris. He played and recorded with a number of artists, among others Kaba Mane, with whom he recorded and produced two albums and toured all over Europe.
 
Tchando settled in Denmark in 1988, and since then has participated as singer and guitarist in many different orchestras as well as being arranger and composer for other artists. In 1990, Tchando participated in the recordings as a co-arranger and choir singer on the song 'Light In Your Heart' written by Bernie Taupin and Martin Page, for the topselling album 'Dark Passion' by the Danish pop-rock singer, Hanne Boel.
 
Twice, in 1992 and 1995, Tchando has had the opportunity to work as a composer for Danish experimental theatre performances, working in close cooperation with the director and playwriter.
 
In November 1992, Tchando released his first solo album 'Naton' ('Guest') which put him on the World Music Charts Europe. Two songs from this album 'Kambés' and 'Ussak N'dja' were selected for Afrolatin compilation CDs; namely 'Afrolusamerica' (Tropical Music, Germany), and Big Noice' (released by RykoDisc, USA).
 
In the beginning of 1994, Tchando decided to return to his roots, the culture of the Fulani and Mandinka. A scolarship by the Danish composer association DJBFA, made him able to travel for six months in Guinea Bissau for a thourough musical research.
 
During the largest African festival in the world, Images of Africa in Copenhagen June 1996, Tchando participated in a special Galla Evening as a guest performer for Manu Dibango's 'Wakafrika' together with Angelique Kidjo, Lokua Kanza, Seta Toure and the legendary Hugh Masekela.
 
In week 41, October 2000, K.G.Rush's remix of Tchando's 'MansaYa' was made into the 'Powerplay of the Week' at Denmark's largest radio channel, P3.