Dadawa is the stage name of Zhu Zheqin (朱哲琴), a Chinese singer/songwriter and contemporary Chinese music’s first independent producer. Of Hunanese origin, ethnically Han and Miao, she was born in Guangzhou, China. Dadawa has been referred to as the "Chinese Enya". She has also been described as China's Ry Cooder, for her eclectic forays into world music including one recording and tour with Ireland's Chieftains. Dadawa has collaborated with composer/producer He Xuntian for several of her albums. A Shanghai music professor. In 1994 He Xuntian and Dadawa travelled to Tibet to research Tibetan culture and music. The result, Sister Drum (1995), her second album, was an international success, selling millions of copies worldwide. Following that, Dadawa's album Voices From The Sky was released in 1997. Dadawa was the first contemporary Chinese musician to have her music released globally, for which she has received an MTV award for her contribution to Asian music.

Dadawa has developed a reputation as a world traveler and adventurer, visiting many countries and immersing herself in a variety of cultures around the world. She has also worked in television journalism, in particular hosting a major Chinese television documentary, "Into Africa", which introduced that continent to hundreds of millions of viewers.