A world without music would be silent, for music is the voice of our emotions and the soul of cultures.
With over 200 compositions to his name — ranging from symphonic and chamber music to film scores, vocal works, and pieces for guitar, piano, and other European, Arab, and African instruments — his works are performed worldwide by renowned orchestras and soloists.
Holding a Doctorate in medicine and a Master’s degree in musicology from the Sorbonne, Salim Dada also studied orchestral conducting in Italy and refined his musical writing in France and Algeria. His musical language, blending Arab-Andalusian, Ottoman, Mediterranean, and African heritage with contemporary Western techniques, transcends cultural and identity boundaries.
Salim Dada is the first Algerian composer, and one of the few in the Arab world, to have written symphonic and chamber music inspired by traditional Arab-Andalusian and Ottoman forms. Among his major works are Waçlat al-Ashwaq, Samai Nahawound, Samai Rahat al-Arwah, Dzaïr Overture, L’amour est ma croyance, and symphonic dances such as Lounga Nahawound, Lounga Dil, Bent Essahra, Taous, Danse de l’homme bleu. He has also composed pieces for strings, including Love Song, Freedom Dance, Fine dell’inizio (quartet), Conversations (violin duets), Miniatures Algériennes, Sinfonietta per archi, and works for classical guitar, piano, and harpsichord.
His film scores include Ben Boulaïd, Augustine: Son of Her Tears, Ibn Badis, Sarab, Hypnotisia, the ballet La Flamme du Sahara, the opening and closing ceremonies of the Mediterranean Games Oran 2022, and the opera-documentary Sé/Ré.Paration.
As a professional conductor, he has led numerous orchestras worldwide, particularly in Algeria, France, Italy, Bulgaria, and China. A multi-instrumentalist (guitar, ‘ûd, kwitra, buzuq, ukulele, and percussion), Salim Dada co-founded the Shulùq Ensemble in 2013 with Calogero Giallanza and Andrea Piccioni and created the Orchestre des Jeunes d’Algérie (OJA) in 2018, a project that combines musical training, artistic experience, and social engagement.
After holding several key positions in the cultural sector, Salim Dada was appointed Secretary of State for Cultural Production in Algeria in 2020. In this role, he contributed to drafting the first law to protect the socio-professional status of artists in Algeria, defining a classification of artistic professions, and creating the country’s first arts high school.
Alongside his musical career, Salim Dada is an international expert in cultural policies for UNESCO, specializing in the diversity of cultural expressions, the management of cultural and creative industries, and culture in the digital age. With over 25 years of experience in music education, he is also a trainer and speaker, participating in international conferences and programs on music, culture, and artistic innovation. He also provides corporate training through his consultancy agency CAP Culture, covering topics such as team cohesion, skill development, leadership, public speaking, and storytelling.
Honored with numerous awards — including the President of the Republic’s Prize for Artistic Creativity in 2008, an Honorification at the Cairo Opera for his contribution to contemporary Arab music in 2016, and the Order of the Star of Italy in 2021 by President Mattarella — Salim Dada continues to explore new artistic and intellectual paths through his musical projects, musicological research, cultural expertise, and commitment to nurturing young talent and promoting heritage and creativity.