Wes

Wes Madiko – who was better known professionally by his first name – was born on January 15, 1964, in Motaba, Cameroon. Sometimes referred to as the "King of World Music", he was best known for the song “In Youpendi” (featured on the Lion King II: The Honor of the Tribe soundtrack), his massive hit single “Alane” (1997), and recordings with Deep Forest’s Michel Sanchez. Wes was a Grammy Award Winner and three-time winner of the World Music Awards, Wes Madiko learned to appreciate music as a child, learning how to play the kalimba (a 17-key thumb piano). He began his musical career in 1984 with the group Kwa Kassi. In 1987, he left for Europe with a new group called Fakol. Several deaths in his immediate family inspired him to get in touch with is original roots. In 1992, he promoted his Sun of Ancestors album in the United States, which led him to meeting Deep Forest’s Michel Sanchez. Sanchez wrote and produced Wes’ 1996 album Welenga. The single “Alane” became a hit single in Europe. In 1998, he contributed the song “In Youpendi” to the soundtrack to The Lion King II: The Honor of the Tribe. Wes followed that success with his 2000 album Sinami: The Memory and the Melowe album in 2010. His music has been featured in television shows and advertising. While he remained a popular figure on the music scene, Wes didn’t release any new music in the last decade of his life. Wes Madiko died on June 25, 2021. He was 57 years old.