Chocolat's
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Founder | Marcel de Keukeleire, Jean Van Loo |
| Defunct | 1980 |
| Headquarters | Mouscron , Belgium |
| Products | Disco-latino music albums and singles |
Chocolat's was a Belgian ensemble specializing in disco-latino music, producing a total of 12 albums from 1975 through 1981 and achieving sales exceeding 6 million records.
The group originated in 1975, founded by Marcel de Keukeleire and Jean Van Loo, both prominent figures in Mouscron’s musical landscape. During the early 1970s, they established the Elver label. Before forming Chocolat's, they found success with tracks such as "El Bimbo" performed by "Les Chocolats Boys."
Adopting the name Chocolat's, their debut and most successful single was Brasilia Carnaval, composed by de Keukeleire with vocals by Jean-Luc Drion. This album reached approximate sales of 5 million copies, followed by Rythmo Tropical (1975), which moved about 1.4 million units.
As their popularity grew, frontman Salvatore Acquaviva joined the group along with four Brazilian dancers. In 1976, they expanded into the American market when King of Clubs climbed to #13 on Billboard's National Disco Action Top 40 chart. Early in 1978, they charted again with Baby, let's do it the French way.
Subsequent albums experienced lower commercial success; however, in 1980, the band achieved a final notable hit with La chatte à la voisine, originally released in 1976 but gaining widespread recognition during the summer across France, Italy, and Germany.
After releasing seven albums, Chocolat's disbanded in 1980. Their musical style saw a revival in the 1980s through the influence of the French group La Compagnie Créole.
Albums
- 1975: Brasilia Carnaval
- 1975: Rythmo Tropical
- 1976: Kings of Clubs
- 1976: Donne moi un baiser
- 1977: Baby, let's do it the French way
- 1977: The Fabulous Chocolat's
- 1978: African choco
Singles and EPs
- 1975: Brasilia Carnaval (reached #4 in France, remained 18 weeks within top 40)
- 1975: Rythmo Tropical (#35 in France for 1 week)
- 1976: Toca toca mi ré fa (#38 in France for 1 week)
- 1976: La chatte à la voisine
- 1976: King of Clubs
- 1977: Baby, let's do it the French way
- 1977: Cubanita
- 1979: Senorita por favor