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{{Short description|1959 single by Caterina Valente}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Bongo Cha Cha Cha
| cover = Bongo Cha Cha Cha.png
| alt =
| caption = Italian A-side label
| type = single
| artist = [[Caterina Valente]]
| album = {{lang|it|Personalità}}
| language = Italian
| A-side =
| B-side = "{{lang|it|Guardando il cielo|i=no}}"
| released = {{start date|1959}}
| recorded = 1959
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
*[[Cha-cha-chá (music)|Cha cha cha]]
*[[Latin pop]]
| length = {{duration|m=2|s=47}}
| label = [[Decca Records]]
| composer =
*[[Ernst Bader]]
*Ralf Arnie
*[[Werner Müller (musician)|Werner Müller]]
| lyricist = Giuseppe Perotti
| producer =
| prev_title = {{lang|it|Un treno nel blu|i=no}}
| chronology = [[Caterina Valente]] Italian
| prev_year = 1959
| next_title = [[Till (song)|Till]]
| next_year = 1959
| misc = {{Audio sample
| type = single
| file = Caterina Valente - Bongo Cha Cha Cha.mp3
}}
}}

"'''Bongo Cha Cha Cha'''" is a 1959 song by French-Italian singer [[Caterina Valente]], originally included on a German-language EP and best known in its Italian version, which was published as a single in 1959. The song became a big international hit, being translated into several languages including {{cnspan|Spanish, French, English,|date=March 2025}} Bulgarian and Serbo-Croatian. It saw a resurgence in popularity after being featured in the 2019 film ''[[Spider-Man: Far from Home]]'' and going viral on [[TikTok]] in 2021.

== Original version ==
=== Background ===
"Bongo Cha Cha Cha" was written by [[Ernst Bader]], Ralf Arnie and [[Werner Müller (musician)|Werner Müller]], with the German version originally conducted by Müller and performed by Valente and her brother Silvio Francesco (as the duo Caterina {{lang|de|und|i=no}} Silvio) in the [[Paul Martin (director)|Paul Martin]] movie {{lang|de|[[Du bist wunderbar]]}}. Soon set to Italian lyrics by Giuseppe Perotti (under the pseudonym Pinchi), the song is one of the first examples of German- and Italian-language [[Cha-cha-chá (music)|cha cha cha]], a Latin American dance of Cuban origins successfully imported also in Europe since the 1950s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/master/1315580-Caterina-Und-Silvio-Es-War-In-Portugal-Im-Mai-Jimmy-Du-Sweet-Sweetheart-Bongo-Cha-Cha-Cha|title=Caterina Und Silvio – Es War In Portugal Im Mai / Jimmy - Du / Sweet-Sweetheart / Bongo Cha-Cha-Cha|work=[[Discogs]]|access-date=2025-03-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://e.snmc.io/i/600/w/068be73c8970706b6e68953cdba5761f/3067421/caterina-valente-and-silvio-francesco-caterina-und-silvio-Cover-Art.jpg|title=Caterina und Silvio|language=de|via=[[Rate Your Music]]|access-date=2025-03-02}}</ref><ref name="GQ">{{Cite web|last=Uzzo|first=Cecilia|url=https://www.gqitalia.it/show/article/bongo-cha-cha-cha-testo-significato-tormentone-2021-ha-62-anni|title=«Bongo Cha Cha Cha», testo e significato del tormentone dell'estate 2021 che ha 62 anni|language=it|website=[[GQ Italia]]|date=2021-07-23|access-date=2025-03-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deejay.it/articoli/no-la-hit-virale-2021-non-dice-vongola-cha-cha-cha-ecco-il-vero-senso-della-canzone/|title=No, la hit virale 2021 non dice 'Vongola Cha Cha Cha': ecco il vero senso della canzone|language=it|website=[[Radio DeeJay]]|date=2021-09-01|access-date=2025-03-02}}</ref>

By 1959, Valente had signed a recording contract with [[Decca Records]], thanks to the success achieved internationally and in particular in the United States,<ref name="GQ"/> where her singles had reached the top ten and her television appearances were warmly received by the public.<ref>{{cite web|title=Caterina Valente Biography|first=Marcy|last=Donelson|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/caterina-valente-mn0000166279#biography|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=3 March 2025}}</ref> The release of "Bongo Cha Cha Cha" was also a great success and was included in the ''Miss Personality'' album (titled {{lang|it|Personalità}} in Italy), released in 1960. The single has been published in many countries including Germany, [[Yugoslavia]], Australia, United States and Greece.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/it/Caterina-Valente-Bongo-Cha-Cha-Cha/master/822215|title=Caterina Valente - Bongo Cha-Cha-Cha|website=[[Discogs]]}}</ref>

A [[Serbo-Croatian]] cover of the song was recorded by [[Ljiljana Petrović]] in 1962, and a [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] one by Raina Deneva in 1964.<ref name="sample">{{Cite web|url=https://www.whosampled.com/Caterina-Valente/Bongo-Cha-Cha-Cha/|title=Bongo Cha-Cha-Cha by Caterina Valente - Samples, Covers and Remixes|work=[[WhoSampled]]|access-date=2025-03-02}}</ref>

=== Revival ===
In 2013, "Bongo Cha Cha Cha" was included on the soundtrack to the French film {{lang|fr|[[Elle s'en va]]}} (''On My Way''), directed by [[Emmanuelle Bercot]] and starring [[Catherine Deneuve]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006386/|title=Caterina Valente|website=[[IMDb]]}}</ref>

In 2019, "Bongo Cha Cha Cha", in its Italian version, was included on [[Spider-Man: Far From Home (soundtrack)|the soundtrack]] to ''[[Spider-Man: Far from Home]]'', directed by [[Jon Watts]], in the segment when [[Peter Parker]] ([[Tom Holland]]) and his schoolmates land in [[Venice]], Italy; the song went [[Viral marketing|viral]], gaining renewed popularity. In 2021, it went viral again via the social media platform [[TikTok]], thanks to its use for a trend that has collected over 250 million views, started from Latin countries and South America, and later in Italy and Germany.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.webboh.it/bongo-cha-cha-cha-tiktok/|title=Bongo cha cha cha, il trend virale su TikTok: tutte le curiosità sulla canzone|date=April 5, 2021|language=it|last=Buratti|first=Ivan|website=Webboh}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiozeta.it/notizie/articoli/tiktok-bongo-cha-cha-cha-miraculous-tendenze-/|title=TikTok, 'Bongo cha cha cha' e 'Miraculous' sono le nuove tendenze della settimana|last=Arpino|first=Ilaria|work=Radio Zeta|language=it|publisher=[[RTL 102.5]]|date=April 6, 2021}}</ref><ref name="auto3">{{Cite web|url=https://notiziemusica.it/bongo-cha-cha-cha-caterina-valente/news/|title=Tutte le curiosità su Bongo Cha Cha Cha, la hit di Caterina Valente virale su TikTok|date=April 8, 2021|last=Abbate|first=Mauro|website=Notizie Musica}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.teamworld.it/testi-traduzioni/bongo-cha-cha-cha-caterina-valente-testo-e-audio-canzone-virale-su-tiktok/|title=Testo di Bongo Cha Cha Cha, canzone virale su TikTok|date=August 20, 2021|work=Team World}}</ref>

Amid the 2021 resurgence in popularity, "Bongo Cha Cha Cha" was remixed by British group [[Goodboys]] in [[#Goodboys version|a house version]] which charted in several countries, as well as sampled in the Russian single "Na chile" by [[GeeGun]] featuring [[Egor Kreed]], [[The Limba]], [[Blago White]], OG Buda, [[Timati]], [[Soda Luv]] and Guf.<ref name="sample"/> In 2022, it was used in a [[Mecca Bingo]] advertisement<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mecca Bingo - Let's play|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVIhTLuBjdc|via=[[YouTube]]|access-date=2022-02-19|date=2022-01-26}}</ref> and was covered by Maltese singer [[Emma Muscat]] (with accompaniment by the [[Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg|German Film Orchestra Babelsberg]]) for the compilation album ''TikTok Classics – Memes & Viral Hits''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Emma Muscat / Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg - Bongo Cha Cha Cha|language=de-CH|url=https://hitparade.ch/song/Emma-Muscat-_-Deutsches-Filmorchester-Babelsberg/Bongo-Cha-Cha-Cha-2296762|publisher=[[Swiss Hitparade]]|access-date=2025-03-12}}</ref>

=== Track listings ===
'''7" single "Bongo Cha Cha Cha"''' (Italy, 1959)
: A. "Bongo Cha Cha Cha"
:: ([[Ernst Bader]], Ralf Arnie, [[Werner Müller (musician)|Werner Müller]] and Giuseppe Perotti)
: B. "{{lang|it|Guardando il cielo|i=no}}"
:: (Ernst Bader, Ralf Arnie, Werner Müller and Giuseppe Perotti)
: <small>[[Decca Records]] 45-C 16535</small>

== Goodboys version ==
{{Infobox song
| name = Bongo Cha Cha Cha
| cover = Bongo Cha Cha Cha.jpeg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = [[Goodboys]]
| album =
| language = Italian
| A-side =
| B-side =
| released = {{start date|2021|05|21|df=yes}}
| recorded = 2021
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
*[[Cha-cha-chá (music)|Cha cha cha]]
*[[Latin pop]]
*[[House music|house]]
| length = {{duration|m=1|s=53}}
| label = [[Atlantic Records UK]]
| composer =
*[[Ernst Bader]]
*Ralf Arnie
*[[Werner Müller (musician)|Werner Müller]]
| lyricist = Giuseppe Perotti
| producer =
*Adrià Alemany García
*Goodboys
| prev_title = [[Goodbye (Imanbek and Goodboys song)|Goodbye]]
| prev_year = 2020
| next_title = Black & Blue
| next_year = 2022
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|Nx-Zu56h7kU|"Bongo Cha Cha Cha"}}}}
}}
In the wake of the TikTok revival, a [[house music|house]] version remix of "Bongo Cha Cha Cha" was produced by the British house music group [[Goodboys]], which peaked at number 23 in the Italian charts and number 6 in the Hungarian charts, as well as reaching number 1 in the Hungarian airplay. The song has totalled nearly 100 million streams on [[Spotify]], reaching first place in the Viral Spotify Italia chart in July 2021 and appearing on the Switzerland Spotify chart in August 2021.<ref name="GQ"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://app.chartmetric.com/track/43453085|title=Bongo Cha Cha Cha|work=Chartmetric|access-date=2025-03-02}}</ref>

=== Credits and personnel ===
Credits adapted from [[AllMusic]]. Lyrics by Giuseppe Perotti and vocals by [[Caterina Valente]] are uncredited.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bongo Cha Cha Cha - Goodboys|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/bongo-cha-cha-cha-mw0003526966#credits|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=2 March 2025}}</ref>

{{div col}}
* Goodboys{{snd}}primary artist, [[Record producer|producer]]
* [[Ernst Bader]]{{snd}}composer
* Ralf Arnie{{snd}}composer
* [[Werner Müller (musician)|Werner Müller]]{{snd}}composer
* Adrià Alemany García{{snd}}keyboards, [[audio mixing (recorded music)|mixing]], percussions, producer, [[programming (music)|programmer]]
* Ethan Shore{{snd}}keyboards, percussions, programmer
* Joshua Alexander Grimmett{{snd}}keyboards, percussions, programmer
* Sam Wills{{snd}}[[mastering (audio)|mastering]]
{{div col end}}

=== Charts and certifications ===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Chart performance for "Bongo Cha Cha Cha"
! scope="col"| Chart (2021)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Czech Republic ([[ČNS IFPI|Singles Digitál Top 100]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ifpicr.cz/hitparada/30/goodboys/bongo-cha-cha-cha/167059|title=Bongo Cha Cha Cha — GOODBOYS - WARNER MUSIC|language=cs|work=hitparada.ifpicr.cz|publisher=[[ČNS IFPI|Česká národní skupina Mezinárodní federace hudebního průmyslu]]|access-date=2025-03-02}}</ref>
| 73
|-
! scope="row"| Hungary ([[Association of Hungarian Record Companies|Single Top 40]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://slagerlistak.hu/single-top-40-slagerlista/2021/38|title=2021/38. heti Single Top 40 slágerlista|language=hu|work=slagerlistak.hu|publisher=[[Association of Hungarian Record Companies|Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége]]|access-date=2025-03-02}}</ref>
| 6
|-
! scope="row"| Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://slagerlistak.hu/radios-top-40-slagerlista/2021/50|title=2021/50. heti Rádiós Top 40 slágerlista|language=hu|work=slagerlistak.hu|publisher=Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége|access-date=2025-03-02}}</ref>
| 1
|-
! scope="row"| Italy ([[Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana|FIMI]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fimi.it/top-of-the-music/archivio-classifiche-settimanali/archivio-classifiche-per-settimana/?tipo=2&anno=2021&settimana=33#tabs-1b|title=Classifiche — Singoli — Classifica settimanale WK 33 (dal 13.08.2021 al 19.08.2021)|language=it|work=fimi.it|publisher=[[Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana]]|access-date=2025-03-02}}</ref>
| 23
|-
! scope="row"| Italy Airplay (EarOne)<ref>{{cite web|title=Bongo Cha Cha Cha - Goodboys {{!}} Scheda brano|language=it|url=https://earone.com/song/0e6dbf6b28|website=EarOne|access-date=2025-03-03}}</ref>
| 12
|}
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Bongo Cha Cha Cha"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|region=Italy|artist=Goodboys|title=Bongo Cha Cha Cha|award=Platinum|relyear=2021|certyear=2021|id=9167|access-date=2025-03-02}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:1959 songs]]
[[Category:1959 singles]]
[[Category:Caterina Valente songs]]
[[Category:Decca Records singles]]
[[Category:Songs with lyrics by Ernst Bader]]
[[Category:Cha-cha-cha]]
[[Category:Latin pop songs]]
[[Category:Songs in Italian]]
[[Category:Songs in German]]
[[Category:2021 singles]]
[[Category:Goodboys songs]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records UK singles]]
[[Category:House music songs]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in Hungary]]

Bongo Cha Cha Cha - Revision history

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