Known for his musical compositions for the saxophone that integrated North African music with Japanese influences. He occasionally used a pseudonym for his jazz and rag-music compositions: Jean Matitia.
He received his formal education at the Université de Bordeaux and the Conservatory at Bordeaux where he was taught by the famed Michel Fusté-Lambezat.
He was named Artistic Director of the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine in 2004.
He was born in Sfax, Tunisia, but his family relocated to Bordeaux, France.
He and world leader Moncef Marzouki were both born in Tunisia.
