Meet Christina Yamamoto Jhené Aiko’s Mother

Christina Yamamoto (born February 18, 1958) is a former art instructor and Jhené Aiko’s mother. Christina Yamamoto is a 66-year-old woman who became famous due to her daughter, Jhené Aiko’s popularity.

Jhené Aiko (full name: Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo; born March 16, 1988) is a well-known R&B, Soul singer/songwriter. Currently signed to Def Jam Records, Christina’s superstar daughter has three solo studio albums to her name and is already a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. This article focuses on the woman who was responsible, though not solely, for bringing the global musical prodigy Jhené Aiko into the world.

Jhené Aiko’s Mom Has A Japanese Father

Jhené Aiko’s mother was born Christina Yamamoto on February 18, 1958, under the birth sign of Aquarius, in Inglewood, California, United States. Christina is an American citizen based on her birth status, but her surname, Yamamoto, gives the reader an idea that she might have some Asian roots.

Anyone who thinks so would be right because Christina has Japanese Ancestry. She is the daughter of the late Japanese-American immigrant Tadashi “Teddy” Yamamoto. Christina’s father was born in Hawaii sometime during the late 1930s and moved to the United States with his parents when he was only three years old.

The timeline of their move to the US coincided with World War II, and they eventually settled in Southern California. An irrefutable yet surprising truth about Christina’s father is that despite being Japanese, he never visited his home country till he died. After settling in the United States with his parents, Tadashi went on with his life, got married, and lived the rest of his life in the US.

Even though she has the looks and coloring of her father’s people, Christina Yamamoto’s ethnic identity is not as straightforward as her looks portray. The public will do well to recognize her Creo Dominican, Spanish, and Afro-American roots, given that her father married one whose name is Essie Pecot. Christina is the fruit of that marital union.

Not much is known about Christina Yamamoto’s mom at the moment, including when and where she was born in the US, what she did for a living, and if she is still alive as of the time of writing. From the brief history of her birth family, it would appear that Christina Yamamoto is her parents’ only child.

However, an unverified source has claimed that she has two older sisters and a younger brother. It’s no longer a secret that Jhené Aiko’s mom prefers to live her life away from the prying eyes of the public, which has resulted in very little to no information regarding her formal education background.

Christina Yamamoto Was Married To Dr. Karamo Chilombo For 20 Years

In 1979, Christina Yamamoto met and fell in love with the man who would become the father of her children. The man in question was Dr. Karamo Chilombo, a Pediatrician. After dating for about a year, Christina and her ex-husband were married in a reportedly intimate wedding ceremony that featured only members of their respective families.

The wedding took place in 1980 but the exact date and month are unknown at the moment. Born Gregory Wycliff Barnes on December 1, 1944, in Bakersfield, California, United States, Christina’s husband comes from a not-so-straightforward ethnic background. His mix of Afro-American, German-Jewish, and Native American backgrounds gives Christina’s children a unique blend of ethnic identities.

We have enough intel to disclose the fact that Christina’s ex-husband changed his name to Chilombo because of what the name represents. Chilombo means wild beast in Chewa, a language spoken by Bantu-speaking people living in the extreme eastern zone of Zambia, northwestern Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique.

Aside from being a Pediatrician, Christina’s ex-husband also ventured into the music world in his 20s, and it is this venture that brought about the name change. He is a charismatic fellow whose outlandish dress sense represents his love and affinity for the Jamaican people.

Christina Yamamoto and Dr. Karamo Chilombo were married for 20 years before their separation in 2000. Some credible sources had revealed that they remained that way until 2019 when their divorce was finalized. To date, no one has been able to give a reason for the separation and eventual divorce of Christina from her first husband.

Since their marriage ended, neither Christina nor Dr. Karamo has remarried, even though the good doctor had gone on to have other relationships, resulting in three additional children for him.

Jhené Aiko’s Mother Had 5 Children With Her Husband, Dr. Chilombo

It’s been noted that Christina Yamamoto and Dr. Chilombo were married for two decades. During those 20some years, the former couple managed to have five children together. That said, Christina Yamamoto is a proud mother of three daughters and two sons, even though one of her sons died a while back (more on that shortly).

Christina welcomed her first child, a daughter named Miyoko Aminah-Khalil Chilombo, on March 30, 1981. Miyoko has grown up to become a respected actress and costume designer. Just over a year later, Christina and Dr. Keramo welcomed a second daughter named Jamila Akiko Aba Chilombo.

Popularly known as Mila J., Christina’s second daughter is a musician born on November 18, 1982. Following the two older daughters were Christina Yamamoto’s sons. The celebrity mom had her first son on July 4, 1984. He was named Jahi Tadashi Jelan Chilombo. Jahi is also in the entertainment industry, where he predominantly works as a DJ.

A couple of years later, Christina had another son named Miyagi Hasani Ayo Chilombo on July 7, 1986. Jhené Aiko is the youngest child of her parents as a married couple. She was born Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo on March 16, 1988. The world is already aware of who Jhené is, as her musical career has well and truly taken off.

Jhené was 12 years old when her parents separated, leading her to form a very strong bond with her mother, Christina. This is not to say that Christina does not have a good relationship with her other children, whom she also adores.

Christina Lost Her Second Son To Cancer In 2012

On July 19, 2012, Christina Yamamoto experienced one of the worst tragedies a mother could have. This tragedy came from the death of her second son Miyagi Hasani Ayo Chilombo. Miyagi had been diagnosed with cancer a few years before his death, and despite the family’s best efforts, he lost the fight against the deadly disease just 12 days after his 26th birthday.

Jhené Aiko once spoke about how she fought depression in the days and months that followed her brother’s death. Even though she never expressly revealed her state of mind in that period, one would imagine that Christina experienced similar feelings about the death of her son.