Dadawa a.k.a. Zhu Zheqin (朱哲琴) (born 15 July 1968) is a Chinese musician, sound artist and independent producer. She has also served as a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador. Dadawa established SOUND LAB at Shanghai’s Tongji University, Institute of Architecture and Design, where she is an adjunct professor.
Over the past 20 years, with music as her point of departure, Dadawa is noted for her crossover artistic exploration. She was the first Chinese musician to release her music globally, beginning with “Sister Drum”, distributed by Warner Bros in 1995. As an avant garde pioneer of contemporary Chinese music, her works have entered the fields of sound as well as design, and visual, public, community and performance art.
In recent years, Dadawa has sought to bring together traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design. KANJIAN, a brand she established in 2012, combines contemporary design with traditional Chinese artisanal craftsmanship. KANJIAN creations are distinguished by their references to Chinese history, philosophy and aesthetics.