Cheikh Saïd El Meddah

Cheikh Saïd El Meddah was an iconic figure of Algerian traditional oral performance in the coastal cities of Ténès, Cherchell, and Mostaganem. Performing in public squares with his bendir frame drum, he held audiences spellbound for hours with rhythmic narrative poetry.

His repertoire preserved the heroic histories of anti-colonial insurrections, the ethical teachings of Sufi masters, and traditional fables of social justice. El Meddah represented the living voice of traditional popular theater and oral literature that sustained national identity under colonization.