We lost a great spirit and world music master DJ Cheb I Sabbah, who died on November 6 in San Francisco after a two-year battle with stomach cancer. His given name was Haim Serge El Baz, but the name he is remembered by, Cheb I Sabbah, means “young man of the morning,” and he was exactly that: young at heart and in spirit, who took the music of the ancient world and made it fresh with heavy dance beats for a modern global audience. I used to listen to Cheb’s show on the radio in San Francisco for many years, own several of his brilliant albums, and was fortunate to have seen him perform live in Berkeley about twenty years ago. He was an amazing man and musician, and he will be missed.

This video of a live Cheb I Sabbah performance from 2008 gives you a taste of his spirit, and more about Cheb I Sabbah and his music can be found at the links below:

Learn more about the life and music of DJ Cheb I Sabbah:

• Cheb I Sabbah’s website
• Wikipedia: Cheb I Sabbah
• NPR’s Fresh Air: Paying Tribute To San Francisco DJ Cheb I Sabbah (from 2012)
• PRI: Remembering Cheb I Sabbah, a DJ who brought heavy beats to traditional styles
• Cheb I Sabbah’s albums available on Amazon