Joe Chialo

Joseph Chialo (born 1970) is a German singer, music manager, and politician of Tanzanian descent who has been serving as State Minister (Senator) for Culture and Social Cohesion in the government of Governing Mayor Kai Wegner since 2023.[1]

Joe Chialo
Joe Chialo in 2023
Senator for Culture and Social Cohesion
Assumed office
27 April 2023
Governing MayorKai Wegner
Preceded byKlaus Lederer (as Senator for Culture and Europe)
Personal details
Born1970 (age 52–53)
Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany (now Germany)
Political partyCDU (since 2016)
Other political
affiliations		Alliance 90/The Greens (1990s)

Early life and career

The son of Tanzanian diplomats, Chialo was born in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia in 1970. He stated that he and his brother were the only two Black students at the school he attended growing up.[2] Before dropping out, Chialo attended the Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlangen, where he studied history, economics, and political science.[3]

Chialo started his singing career with Blue Manner Haze after receiving a record deal with Sony Music.

Political career

In the 1990s, Chialo was a member of The Greens – exclusively because he was a political admirer of Joschka Fischer. While Chialo supported the German government sending Bundeswehr missions in the Balkans, the Green party base did not, prompting Chialo to leave the party.[4] Chialo joined the CDU in 2016 because of his Christian upbringing and values, he said.[5]

Ahead of the 2021 elections, CDU chairman Armin Laschet included Chialo in his eight-member shadow cabinet for the Christian Democrats' campaign.[6][2] He also ran to represent the party in the election in the Berlin-Spandau – Charlottenburg North constituency. However, he only garnered 23.5% of votes to the 32.8% received by SPD candidate Helmut Kleebank, and therefore lost the election.[7]

In early 2022, Chialo was elected to the national leadership of the CDU.[8]

Personal life

Chialo is married and has one daughter.[3]

References
  1. Jan Heidtmann (10 April 2023, Türsteher, Sänger, Senatorn Süddeutsche Zeitung.
  2. "Germany's diversity shows as immigrants run for parliament". AP NEWS. 22 September 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  3. "Meine Story – Joe Chialo" (in German). Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  4. Meck, Georg. "Bundestagskandidat Joe Chialo: "Ich bin nicht der Quoten-Schwarze"". FAZ.NET (in German). ISSN 0174-4909. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  5. Alberti, Stefan (18 July 2021). "Der erste PoC-Kandidat der Berliner CDU: "Ich hab so ein Problem mit Quoten"". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in German). ISSN 0931-9085. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  6. Fatina Keilani and Christoph Prantner (3 September 2021), Personen statt Positionen: Laschet bringt sein «Zukunftsteam» in Stellung Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
  7. "Bundestagswahl 2021: Alle Ergebnisse der Wahlkreise". www.waz.de (in German). 27 September 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  8. Robert Roßmann (22 January 2022), Dämpfer für Spahn – und die Chefin der Frauen Union scheitert ganz Süddeutsche Zeitung.
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