Welenga

Welenga is the debut album by Wes Madiko and Michel Sanchez, released in 1996 through Saint George Records. The album featured the European hit single "Alane" and reached the top 10 in Austria, France, the Netherlands and Portugal.^[2]

Welenga
Studio album by Wes Madiko and Michel Sanchez
Released	1996
Length	59:18
Label	Sony
Producer	Michel Sanchez
Wes Madiko and Michel Sanchez chronology
Welenga (1996) Sinami (2000)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Music Week	[1]

Critical reception

Music Week wrote, "Powered by the Euro-hit "Alane", this is more proof that even if rock still sounds best in English, dance has many tongues and few boundaries as Cameroon dialect meets world beats head on."^[1] The magazine's Alan Jones wrote, "With his haunting single "Alane" likely to become a hit here [in the UK], as it has in the rest of Europe, Cameroonian singer Wes issues his album Welenga, where his ethnic style is diluted somewhat and mixes with the ethereal new age/world influences of Michel Sanchez, the man who created Deep Forest. The result is soothing and surprisingly moving. Wes's vocals lend poignancy to lyrics which few of his listeners can understand, while Sanchez provides diverse musical motifs to underpin proceedings. Refreshing."^[3]

Track listing

1. "Awa Awa" – 4:28
2. "Alane" – 3:39
3. "Kekana" – 3:17
4. "Wezale" – 4:39
5. "Ken Mouka" – 3:43
6. "Mawaza" – 4:47
7. "Mindoulou" – 4:12
8. "Mizobiya" – 4:54
9. "Degue Wegue" – 3:35
10. "Ramende" – 4:03
11. "Woukase" – 4:26
12. "Welenga" – 5:05

1998 release bonus tracks

1. "We Don't Need No War" – 3:50
2. "Midiwa Bol (I Love Football)" – 4:40

All songs by Madiko/Sanchez except tracks 13 (Madiko/Laurnea) and 14 (Madiko/Amaraggi).

Personnel

• Wes Madiko
• Michel Sanchez
• Laurnea
• Tony Amaraggi

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1996–1998) Peak position Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[4] 5 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[5] 13 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[6] 12 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[7] 7 French Albums (SNEP)[8] 5 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[9] 14 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[10] 30 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[11] 13

Year-end charts Chart (1997) Position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[12] 84 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[13] 72 French Albums (SNEP)[14] 48 Chart (1998) Position Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[15] 26 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16] 53

References

1. "Reviews: Albums" (PDF). Music Week. 7 February 1998. p. 12. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
2. "Portugal (Top 10)".
3. Jones, Alan (24 January 1998). "Talking Music" (PDF). Music Week. p. 27. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
4. "Austriancharts.at – Was – Welenga" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
5. "Ultratop.be – Was – Welenga" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
6. "Ultratop.be – Was – Welenga" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
7. "Dutchcharts.nl – Was – Welenga" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
8. "Lescharts.com – Was – Welenga". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
9. "Offiziellecharts.de – Was – Welenga" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
10. "Charts.nz – Was – Welenga". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
11. "Swisscharts.com – Was – Welenga". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
12. "Rapports Annuels 1997". Ultratop. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
13. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1997". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
14. "Top de l'année Top Albums 1997" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
15. "Jahreshitparade Alben 1998". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
16. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 6 January 2021.