{{Short description|Belgian musical group}} '''The Chakachas''' were a Belgium-based group of Latin soul studio musicians. Also known as '''Les Chakachas''', '''Los Chakachas''', or Los Chicles,{{citation needed|date=October 2019}} they were formed by bandleader Gaston Bogaerts, percussion (conga and tumba);<ref name="Larkin50">{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=Virgin Books|date=2002|edition=Third|isbn=1-85227-937-0|page=65}}</ref> Kari Kenton, vocals and maracas; Vic Ingeveldt (a Dutchman from Liège), saxophone; Charlie Lots, trumpet; Christian Marc, piano; Henri Breyre, guitar and backing vocals; and Bill Raymond, bass guitar. All were native to Schaerbeek (a district of Brussels), or nearby Charleroi, Willebroek and Liège.
== History == They started out in the late 1950s as cha-cha-cha band, and had a Belgian No. 1 in 1958 with "Eso es el amor",<ref name="Larkin50"/> which was sung in Spanish. In 1959 they recorded "Rebecca" (a.k.a. "Rebekka"), which was featured seven years later in the film ''The Battle of Algiers''.<ref name="Larkin50"></ref>
Once the great wave of Afro-Cuban inspired rhythms had passed, the Chakachas transitioned in 1961 to the yéyé genre and they ventured into the "Twist" craze with tracks like "Twist-Twist" (1961), "Hawaiian War Twist" (1962), "Big Strong Madison" and "Madison 62" (1962). In 1962, they reached the UK Singles Chart for the first time with "Twist Twist", peaking in the UK Singles Chart at number 48. They also began to use the English language, and even occasionally German with "Der Twist ist passé" and "Mitternachts Hully-Gully" (1963).<ref name="Larkin50"></ref><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | pages= 99}}</ref>
Although they issued numerous recordings, they are best remembered as a one-hit wonder for their hit disco single "Jungle Fever" from 1971,<ref name="Larkin50"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/The-Chakachas-Jungle-Fever/master/166389|title=The Chakachas* - Jungle Fever|website=Discogs.com|access-date=October 22, 2019}}</ref> which sold over one million copies in the United States, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in March 1972.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book | first= Joseph | last= Murrells | year= 1978 | title= The Book of Golden Discs | edition= 2nd | publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd | location= London | page= [https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/290 290] | isbn= 0-214-20512-6 | url-access= registration | url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/290 }}</ref> It also reached No. 8 in the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100.<ref name="Larkin50"/> In the UK it fared less well: despite some airplay soon after release it was later pulled from airplay by the BBC, which took exception to the song's moaning and heavy breathing.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}} It peaked at No. 29.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> The album with the same name would reach No. 117 in the US.<ref name="Whitburn">{{cite book | last = Whitburn | first = Joel | title = Top LPs, 1955–1972 | year = 1973 | publisher = Record Research | page = 29 | url = https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstoplp00whit/page/29/mode/2up | access-date = 2025-07-10}}</ref> The song was featured in the movie ''Boogie Nights'' and on the ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack'', being played on fictional radio station Master Sounds 98.3. It was sampled on the songs "Put Her in the Buck" on the ''As Nasty as They Wanna Be'' album by 2 Live Crew, "Rock Freak" on ''Natural Ingredients'' by Luscious Jackson, Ambassador's "Honor and Glory", Antoinette's "I Got an Attitude", Beatnuts' "Story 2000", CEO's "Hit Me with the Beat", and Public Enemy's "Cold Lampin' with Flavor". More recently, Louie Vega used the track as the basis for a remix incorporating new vocals by American poet Ursula Rucker on ''The Elements of Life'' (2004).{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}
The Chakachas song "Yo Soy Cubano" from their 1970 album, ''Jungle Fever'', was sampled in the Mighty Dub Katz' song "Magic Carpet Ride" ("Son of Wilmot Mix") in 1995. More recently, the "ah-ring-ting-ting" vocal was sampled as the hook in the 2012 Kendrick Lamar song "Backseat Freestyle".{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}
In 2013, the song "Stories" was featured as an in-game radio station track in the eighth-generation console and PC release of ''Grand Theft Auto V.''<ref>{{Cite web|title=Grand Theft Auto V Reveals Expanded Radio Station Tracklists for Game Relaunch|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/57496-grand-theft-auto-v-reveals-expanded-radio-station-tracklists-for-game-relaunch/|website=Pitchfork|date=2014-11-17|access-date=2025-11-28|language=en-US|first=Corban|last=Goble}}</ref> This song was also covered by the band Cake, renamed as "Thrills" in their album ''B-Sides and Rarities''.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}. It was also covered by IZIT (UK vocal/instrumental group) in 1989. It was also covered by the band Dope Lemon, renamed "Home Soon" in 2017.
Gaston Bogaerts died on 9 December 2022, at the age of 101.<ref>{{cite news |title=Disparition de "Bobo" Bogaerts, artiste belge hors pair à La Garde-Freinet |url=https://www.varmatin.com/vie-locale/disparition-de-bobo-bogaerts-artiste-belge-hors-pair-a-la-garde-freinet-814557 |access-date=28 December 2022 |publisher=var-matin |date=13 December 2022}}</ref>
Kari Kento (born Caridad Hernandez y Penalver) died on 16 May 2005 in Cuba.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.discogs.com/artist/354147-Chakachas Chakachas] on Discogs
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chakachas, The}} Category:Belgian soul musical groups Category:Musical groups established in the 1950s Category:1950s establishments in Belgium Category:Spanish-language Belgian musical groups