Salim Dada

Salim Dada was born on the 7^th May 1975 in Laghouat, Algeria. He is a musician, a composer and a musicologisy from Algeria.

source of picture: soundcloud.com

Biography

Dada was born in the Algerian Sahara; he was a painter when he was tender.

He learned to play the classical guitar and the oud, contrabass, the mandole the kwitra and the percussion musical instruments. He studied harmony, Western and the Eastern musical theory and showed many works for the guitar solo and tiny ensembles between the years 2002 and 2005, he organized a cycle of musical writing in school of distance learning polyphonies with the music composer called Jean-Luc Kuczynski in France, and the Institut National Supérieur de la Musique in Algiers and this happened in the class of the academician called Golnara Bouyagoub. At that period, he got his Ph.D from the faculty of Medicine in Algiers. From the year 2008 to the year 2010, a bursary from the government of Italy permitted him to study conducting with the Guido Guido Maria at the State conservatory called Guiseppe Verdin in Turin. In the year 2010, he was in Paris, France for some research in the musicology at the Sorbonne.

He was nominated as the composer in the residence with the national Symphony Orchestra of the country in the year 2007 and that helped him in the creation of the 7 compositions and conducting of the 30 concerts in two years. Dada’s music catalogue distances 20 symphonic works, a dozen scores for the strings and the chamber songs and many pages for the solo musicians. He has as well forged his voice and the musical instruments of the traditional Arab music for the theater and the movie.

He was a composer member of the SACEM; and his music compositions has been given awards in some competitions and showed n some events like the 57th “Bayreuth Festival Junger Künstler” that came in the year in 2007, the festival of the “Euro-Mediterranean Youth Orchestra” that was in Damascus in 2008, the 7th Arab composers festival “Arab Perspectives” in Cairo, Settembre Musica “MITO 2009” at Milano, “PAN 6”, which was in Amsterdam. In the year 2010: Terrassa48's tour in Catalonia Enmig de terra; la Mediterrània ,3rd International festival of Cultural Diversity at UNESCO-Paris, 4th Perinaldo Festival and Festival “Est Ovest” that was in Italy, in the year 2011, “Hommage à la Méditerranée" by Divertimento at the Cité de la Musique and festival “Label Sorbonne” in Paris. In 2012, “Ice Breacker VI” in Seattle and the initializing of the 2012-2013 concert season at the Cité de la musique of Paris for celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the independence of the country, Algeria.

Dada’s works has been played by orchestras and ensembles in the country and outside the country like the; Orchestre Symphonique National Algérien, Calefax Reed Quintet of the Netherlands, Seattle Chamber Players,  Ensemble Conductus] di Merano, Xenia Ensembleand the Fiarì Ensemble from Torino, plus the Orchestra del Perinaldo Festival,Arab Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Euro-Mediterranean Youth Orchestra, Cairo Symphony Orchestra, Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique Divertimento, Orquestra Terrassa48 de Cataluña, Orchestra Internacional “Pequeñas Huellas” di Niños para la Paze, and Conservatorio di Torino.

He is seen by the press as a bridge between the East and the West, and his music was normally said to be a message of peace and dialogue between the Arab-Muslim world and Europe.

Compositions

Symphonic works

Ø  Tableaux d’une vie arabe, Symphonic poem (2012), 10’

Ø  Afri, African rhapsody for big orchestra (2012), 18’

Ø  Ouverture Dzaïr, for orchestra (2011), 7’

Ø  Hal Dara, Mouwashah for Arab singer, oud, douf & strings orchestra (2010), 12’

Poem of Ibnou Sahl Al-Andaloussi (XIII°)

Ø  Ettawous (the peacock), Symphonic dance (2010), 4’

Ø  Miniatures Algériennes, Five pictures for strings orchestra or string quartet (2010), 18’

Ø  Aurore de Djurdjura

Ø  Danse Zaydan

Ø  Crépuscule sur la baie d’Alger

Ø  Danse de la jument

Ø  Soirée au Hoggar

Ø  Lounga Dil, Symphonic dance (2009), 8’

Ø  Dance of Blue Man, Symphonic dance for ney & orchestra (2008), 5’

Ø  Bent Essahra (Girl of Sahara), Symphonic dance for ney & orchestra (2008), 4’

Ø  Love Song, for String orchestra (2008), 8’

Ø  Freedom Dance, Sirto nekriz for string orchestra (2007), 4’45

Ø  Ashwaq (Passions), Sama‘i nahawound for orchestra (2007), 9’

Ø  Lounga Nahawound, Symphonic dance (2007), 7’

Ø  Fantaisie sur un air Andalou, for flute & orchestra (2006), 8’

Ø  Souvenirs d’enfance, Symphonic poem (2004), 7’

Chamber music

Ø  Lisse Strié", quintet for flute, clarinet, violin, cello & percussions (2012), 7'

Ø  Raqsat al-Faras (Dance of Mare), for flute and harp (2010), 5’

Ø  Zaydan Dance, for woodwind quintet: oboe, clarinet, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet & bassoon(2009), 4’

Ø  Fine dell’ inizio, String quartet n. 1 (2009), 11’

Ø  La fine

Ø  L’inizio

Ø  Conversations, 12 duets for two violinists (2008 - 2009), 22’

Ø  Accordage

Ø  Comme un tango !

Ø  Philatélie

Ø  Canon Zaydan

Ø  Troubadours

Ø  Caresses et Grattages

Ø  Accords et des-Accords

Ø  Musette ...

Ø  Et amusette !

Ø  Vagues et Cascades

Ø  Contrepoids

Ø  Fantasia et Baroud

Ø  Amusette, for violin and piano (2006), 4’

Ø  Histoire de la montagne d’olivier, octuor for guitar solo, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, violin, viola et violoncello (2006), 6’

Ø  Gharnata, for guitar duet (2001), 6’

Solo works

Ø  Vagues et Cascades, daily exercise for harpsichord! (2012), 1’

Ø  Istihlal, prelude for guitar solo (2011), 1’

Ø  Taqsim, improvisation for alto saxophone (2011), 6’

Ø  Zammara, Libyan’s dance & improvisation for piano (2010), 5’

Ø  Sama‘i, for harpsichord (2010), 9’

Ø  Miniatures Algériennes, five pictures for piano (2009), 15’

Ø  Taqsim nahawound, for guitar solo (2005), 6’

Ø  Au chemin du retour, for classical guitar (2005), 4’

Ø  En souvenir de Bach, for harpsichord (2004), 1’30

Ø  Nostalgie, waltz for classical guitar (2004), 3’30

Ø  Histoire de la montagne d’olivier, for guitar (2004), 4’

Ø  Ya Qalbi (Oh ! my heart), for classical guitar (2003), 4’

Ø  Musette, for acoustic guitar (2001), 1’40

Ø  Hommage à J.S.Bach, for classical guitar (2001), 6’ 30

Ø  Tendresse, for classical guitar (2000), 3’

Ø  Chôros, for classical guitar (1999), 3’

Ø  La ballade méditerranéene, dance & improvisation for guitar (1999), 3-11’

Ø  Trois pieces pour guitare, for classical guitar (1999), 5’

Ø  Hésitation

Ø  Berceuse

Ø  Tournade

Takht arabi and traditional instruments

Ø  Waslat al-Ashwaq, suite for vocal soloists, chorus and Arabic ensemble (2005-2006), 60’

Arabic poetry by Muslims sufist poets fromVIII° to XV°: Hassan Bnou Thabet/ Ibrahim Bnou Ali Al-Housri/ Ibnou Sahl Al-Andaloussi/ Safiyou’eddine Al-Helli/ Lissanou’eddine Bnou’al-Khatib/ Ibnou Nabateh Al-Misri.

Ø  Sama‘i Nahawound

Ø  Mouwashah Agharrou Alayhi

Ø  Mouwashah Ya Hal Bakaitou

Ø  Taqasim: oud, qanoun

Ø  Mawwal

Ø  Mouwashah Hal Dara

Ø  Lounga Nahawound

Ø  Mouwashah Shouqqa Djaiboul Layli

Ø  Mouwashah Jadakal Ghaythou

Ø  Mouwashah Ma Massa

Ø  Sama‘i Rahat al-Arwah, for Arab traditional ensemble (2006), 6’

Ø  Malentendu, for violin, oud, guitar & contrabass (2000), 5’

Ø  Dhikra (Memory), for Arab traditional ensemble (1998), 4’

Soundtracks

Ø  Ben Boulaïd (2008), film music for orchestra (2008), 55’

Directed by Ahmed Rachedi, product by Ministry for Moudjahidines and Mycene Balkis Films (Algeria)

Ø  Hamlet Without Hamlet, music for theatre (2008),14’

Arabic text by Khaza’al al-Majidi, scenography by Hamza Djaballah, product by Annawares troup (Algeria)

Child music

Ø  Marcia per la pace, hymn for child soloists, mixed choir and young symphonic orchestra (2009), 5’

Text written by Salim Dada in Arabic, Italian & French, translate to English, Spanish and others languages.

Ø  To my Fatherland, mini operetta with ballet for child soloists, mixed choir and orchestra (2004), 18’

Text written by Lalmi Hadbaoui

Ø  Colors of the flag

Ø  You Algeria

Ø  I sing

Didactics

Ø  Conversations, 12 duets for two violinists (to see chamber music)

Ø  Pieces for guitar & guitar duet (since 1998)

Ø  Arrangements for guitar solo and guitar duets of classical repertory: De Visée, Sanz, Bach, Chopin, Aguado, Tarrega (since 1998)

Ø  Arrangements for guitar solo and guitar duets of traditional music and popular music from Algeria, Arab world and Orient (since 1998)

Musicology

Ø  2010-2011: Maîtrise degree in Music and Musicology at the University Paris IV Sorbonne: Traditions musicale en Azerbaïdjan : héritage et évolution, 100 p., director of research Jean-Jacques VELLY.

Ø  2011-2012 : Master's Research degree in Music and Musicology at the University Paris IV Sorbonne: Polyphonie orchestrale et évolution de la musique orientale : le cas des Mugams symphoniques chez Fikret Amirov, 226 p., director of research Jean-Jacques VELLY.

Ø  2012-2015: PhD Musicologist researcher member of the research team Patrimoines, Langages Musicaux at the University Paris IV Sorbonne. Research thesis: Al-Adhan, appel à la prière en Islam et témoin pur du maqam, director of research François PICARD.

Main music professional activities

Ø  2011-2015: Composer in Residence with the Orchestre Symphonique Divertimento (Ile de France).

Ø  July / August 2010: Composer in Residence and conductor of the festival Perinaldo (Italy).

Ø  2010: Head and leader of the Arab Cantato Laboratory in Intercultural Centre of Torino (Italy).

Ø  2008: Producer and presenter of the program Lectures musicales on Radio Culture in Algiers.

Ø  2006-2009: Composer in Residence with the Algerian National Symphony Orchestra (the first post in Algeria: seven compositions and 30 concerts).

Ø  2008: Percussionist in the Algerian National Symphony Orchestra.

Ø  2005-2008: Professor of harmony and counterpoint at the Institut Régional de la Formation Musicale Algiers.

Ø  Since 2007: Speaking passages and radio features on traditional Algerian music and Arabic music.

Ø  1998-2007: Professor of Classical Guitar (Laghouat, Blida, Algiers, Tipaza).

Ø  2005-2006: Professor of Counterpoint to the Department of Musicology at the Ecole Normale Superieure of Teachers of Algiers (ENS Kouba).

Ø  2001-2006: Responsible for recording studios: technician, arranger, MAO, sound, editing and mixing.

Ø  Since 1998: Head of Algerian traditional music orchestras and classical Arabic music: Laghouati Baroud (1998-1999) and Firqat al-Ouns (2000-2006) in Laghouat, associations Al-Motribiya and Al-Wissal (2007-2008) at Blida.