Founded in 1964, Chari Jazz was the first modern Chad

Chad

Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...

 musical group.

Chari Jazz was preceded by 1962 creation in N'Djamena

N'Djamena

N'Djamena is the capital and largest city of Chad. A port on the Chari River, near the confluence with the Logone River, it directly faces the Cameroonian town of Kousséri, to which the city is connected by a bridge. It is also a special statute region, divided in 10 arrondissements. It is a...

 (then Fort-Lamy) of Tchad succès, a band composed mainly of Cameroon

Cameroon

Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...

ian and Congolese musicians, though including Bar Kossi. Musician Naimou Mbaitoloum was joined by his friends from Sarh

Sarh

Sarh is the third largest city in Chad, after N'Djamena and Moundou. It is the capital of Moyen-Chari region and the department of Barh Köh. It lies 350 miles south-east of the capital Ndjamena on the Chari River...

 (then Fort-Archambault), forming the band Star Jazz in 1964. The poorly equipped Star Jazz was sponsored by President François Tombalbaye

François Tombalbaye

François Tombalbaye, also called Ngarta Tombalbaye , was a teacher and a trade union activist who served as the first president of Chad. He was born in the southern region of the country in the Moyen-Chari Prefecture near the city of Koumara and was of the Sara ethnic group, the prominent ethnicity...

, who further changed its name to Chari Jazz. (Sarh was located in the Moyen-Chari Prefecture

Moyen-Chari Prefecture

This article refers to one of the former prefectures of Chad. From 2002 the country was divided into 18 regions.Moyen-Chari was one of the 14 prefectures of Chad. Located in the south of the country, Moyen-Chari covered an area of 45,180 square kilometers and had a population of 738,595 in 1993....

.) Tombalbaye sent Chari Jazz to Zaire

Zaire

The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...

 to learn from Francois Luambo Makiadi

Francois Luambo Makiadi

François Luambo Luanzo Makiadi was a major figure in twentieth century Congolese music, and African music in general. He is widely referred to as Franco Luambo or, simply, Franco. Known for his mastery of rumba, he was nicknamed the "Sorcerer of the Guitar" for his seemingly effortlessly fluid...

 and Tabu Ley Rochereau

Tabu Ley Rochereau

Tabu Ley Rochereau is a musician from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is the leader of Orchestre Afrisa International and one of Africa's most influential vocalists and prolific songwriters...

, under whom it gathered members Kossi, Kemtchang Daniel, Adoum Fremouss and Alladoumbaye Béyamra. Upon return, Chari Jazz set up in Fort-Lamy. Malao Hennecy from the Central African Republic

Central African Republic

The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...

 also became associated with the band in 1965. Before it could be established, in 1965 musician Kader left the group to form Logone Band based out of Moundou

Moundou

Moundou is the second largest city in Chad, and is the capital of the region of Logone Occidental.The city lies on the Logone River some 475 kilometres south of the capital N'Djamena. It is the main city of the Ngambai people...

, followed by the departure of guitarist Ramadingué, who formed African Mélody.