Farida Saboundji

Farida Saboundji entered the radio studios of Algiers at age thirteen in 1943, guided by master Mahieddine Bachtarzi. Blessed with an impeccably enunciated classical Arabic and sophisticated Algiers dialect, she performed in hundreds of radio dramas alongside Rouiched and Hassan El-Hassani.

Saboundji was famous on television for playing matriarchal, aristocratic, and fiercely authoritarian roles with sublime comedic and dramatic flair, notably in 'El Massir' and 'Dar El Bahdja'. Awarded the National Order of Merit, she worked for over seventy years without interruption as a beloved cultural icon.