The Chakachas

Les Chakachas was a Belgian group of mostly studio musicians who also celebrated international hit parade success beginning in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Band History

Also known under the name Los Chakachas, The Chakachas and without ligand cited by articles in the name of band was founded in 1958 and published until the mid- 1960s, numerous singles and EPs on the record label RCA. The members were Gaston Bogaert ( percussion, drums), Henri Breyre (guitar), Bill Raymond (bass ), Christian Mare ( piano ), Charlie Lots ( trumpet ), Victor Ingeveldt (saxophone ) from the Netherlands and Kari Kenton (vocals ) from Cuba.

Gaston Bogaert was involved at the same time at a different formation, The Continentals, 1961 with cover versions such as Wheels ( from The String -A- Longs and Billy Vaughn ) or San Antonio Rose, originally by Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, entered the German charts.

Les Chakachas played mostly Latin music and a colorful mixture of exotic sounds and dance fashions that were popular in the early 1960s in Europe: Cha -Cha -Cha, Mambo, Rumba, Twist, Madison, Watusi or Bossa Nova. Your singing was mostly Spanish language. However, depending on the country of publication or songs they sang in French, English or German.

Your first big success and number -one hit in Belgium they had in 1958 with Eso it, which was republished again and again in later years el amor. In the German hit parade they were in 1961 and 1962 represented with two songs: Twist -Twist and Madison 62 The former was also a minor hit outside the top 40 in the UK.

The mid-1960s, the band broke up first. However, their producer Roland Kluger was the musicians persuaded in 1970 once again return to the studio to re-record new songs as well as some of their classics. On Polydor then appeared an LP which was initially named in Belgium to Les Chakachas ' biggest hit, Eso it was included in a new version also pointed el amor. One of the new compositions, written by Bill Ador aka Will Albimoor, was instrumental Jungle Fever, which developed slowly within a year to worldwide surprise hit. The LP received a new, powerful color album art and after a first renamed New Sound (1971 ) finally also the name of Jungle Fever.

With the dance tunes and pop sound of the early 1960s, this production had hardly anything in common. Thom Jurek in All Music Guide writes to the 2007 released CD release on Dusty Grooves: "As an album, Jungle Fever is singular, not only for its origins, so but for its achievement as music. Its endurance is well - deserved: this is a finger - popping, hip - twitching classic " ( in German as: ". . Album as Jungle Fever is unique in that regard, not only because of its origin, but also in the musical result is His Longevity deserved: this is a finger - schnalzender, hip - wiggling classic " ).

The follow-up LP Chakachas (1972 ) contained with Stories in the summer of 1972, a further minor hit for the group in the U.S. beyond the Billboard Hot 100

Jungle Fever in 1997 was part of the soundtrack for the film Boogie Nights. In computer and video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is " 98.3 Mastersounds " Jungle Fever played on the fictional radio station and was also the official trailer Welcome to Los Santos (PS2 ) is used.

In many cases, the funk groove of Jungle Fever was sampled by other artists. For example, of 2 Live Crew (Put Her in the Buck ) or Public Enemy at their piece Cold Lampin 'with Flavor. An instrumental part (trumpet ) from Les Chakachas ' Song Yo soy Cubano, written by Nico Gomez, was sampled from the Mighty Dub Katz on their 1995 title success Magic Carpet Ride in the Son of Wilmot Mix.

Discography (selection)

RCA Singles

• Eso es el amor / Beau Coco - RCA 47-9179, 1958
• Venus / La conga de Jaruco - RCA 47-9254, 1959
• Candy / Mama Inez - RCA 47-9263, 1959
• Conga Maye / El charlatan - RCA 47-9284, 1960
• Mucho tequila / Bing bang conga - RCA 1960
• Les enfants du Pirée / Koulouri - RCA 1960
• La pachanga / Maruja - RCA 47-9345, 1961
• Ça c'est du poulet / Babalu - RCA 47-9347, 1961
• Twist - Twist / Baila la bamba - RCA 47-9369, 1961
• Brigitte Bardot / Eo- eo - RCA 47-9371
• Hawaiian War Twist / Please Remember - RCA 47-9390, 1962
• Big Strong Madison / Madison 62 - RCA 47-9411, 1962
• Bossa de moda / Intimidad - RCA 47-9435
• The twist is passé / Midnight Hully - Gully - RCA 47-9493, 1963
• Poor Me / You Wanna Dance? - RCA 47-9494
• Yé yé Corrina / Sunday - RCA 47-9543
• El " Potofo " / Torna a sorrento - RCA 47-9692, 1966
• Love Is like a violin / El charlatan - RCA 47-9755, 1967

RCA EPs

• Guapacha / Arriba la conga / Chou chou / Pa la paloma - RCA EPA 9646
• Venus / La conga de Jaruco / candy / Mama Inez - RCA EPA 9685, 1959
• Conga Maye / El charlatan / Serenata negra / Conga del mayoral - RCA EPA 9708, 1960
• Mucho tequila / Bing bang conga / Chocolate / Chip chip batulo - RCA EPA 9755, 1960
• Les enfants du Pirée ( Never on Sunday ) / I ikosara / Egho ke to ghaidoraiki mou / Koulouri - RCA EPA 9769, 1960
• En el silencio de la noche / Como viene / Noche de Roma / Un maziano sulla terra - RCA EPA 9005 (Les Chakachas in Rome)
• Twist - Twist / Baila la bamba / Ça c'est du poulet / Eo- eo - RCA EPA 9033, 1961
• Rebecca / Una melodia / On My Way to Mexico / Blue cha cha - RCA EPA 9101
• El Bingo / Frutas / Filin ' cha / What'you say, Watusi? - RCA 9119
• No! Man / Ev'ry Night, Ev'ry Night / Only Mine / Think It Over - RCA EPA 9133 (Beat Music)

Polydor / Blue Elephant

• Jungle Fever / Cha Ka Cha - Polydor 1970 1972
• Eso es el amor / Ay malata - Polydor 1971
• Stories / Judas Kiss - Blue Elephant 1972
• Noche de amor / Tibidibidang - Blue Elephant 1973
• Atencion / Que buena esta - Blue Elephant 1975
• Shimmy Shimmy Lolita ( Part 1 & 2) - 1976

Albums

• Les Chachachas of Chakachas - RCA 1961
• What a Night - RCA
• One More Dance - RCA Camden 1965
• Eso es el amor - Polydor 1970
• New Sound - Polydor 1971 ( as Eso es el amor 1970)
• Jungle Fever - Polydor 1972, Dusty Groove 2007 ( as New Sound )
• Chakachas - Blue Elephant 1972