Valdo, the eldest of four brothers, is from the Sawa community of Cameroon on the Gulf of Guinea coast; his father from the small village of Dibombari near Douala, and his mother from the Malimba Islands. When 8 years old he began playing on a guitar made from plasterboard and fishingwire, and at 15, started writing music, developing a particular musical style called Sawa Blues. In the early 1990s, Valdo studied Law at the University of Yaoundé. While at university, he was injured and bed-ridden during student demonstrations; part of a political upheaval in Cameroon. On leaving hospital he returned to his parents in Douala, where he occasionally offered tuition to children. His parents had forbidden him to return to Yaoundé, so he began university studies at Douala in Linguistics and History, particularly that of Africa and Ancient Egypt. These studies influenced his decision to pursue a musical career, as did the musician Eko Roosevelt who, with Valdo, performed with the university's orchestra. He later joined Roosevelt's band as a guitarist; this was Valdo's first experience as a professional musician.
Career
After three years Eko Roosevelt's band, Valdo formed Muntu Band, later renamed Mulema, and began recording and performing. In 2000, he performed in ten Cameroon cities. The same year, sound engineer Gilbert Moodio played a recording of a Valdo concert to a French producer; after an audition, Valdo was encouraged to move to France. He lived in Belleville, associated with young musicians, and played in jam sessions and concerts in the bars of Rue Oberkampf and Place Chatelet, either solo or with his band. He also played with Manu Dibango, Alpha Blondy, Ali Farka Touré, Lokua Kanza, Cheick Tidianne Seck, Tony Allen, Rido Bayonne, Etienne Mbappe, Stephane & Lionel Belmondo, and Richard Bona. Valdo released his first album Gods and Devils – Moiye Na Muititi in 2005. He toured Africa, Europe and Asia, playing festivals and concert halls including the Queen Elizabeth Hall, New Morning, Womad, the Théâtre de la Petite Reine, The Sage, Festival Plein Sud & Festival Africolor, and Fespam. In 2008, Valdo moved to live and work in London, and in 2010 he was the support act for Ladysmith Black Mambazo's UK tour.
