Cheb-i-Sabbah (also known as dj [sic] Cheb i Sabbah), born Haim Sérge El Baaz, a Jew of Berber (Amazigh) descent in Constantine, Algeria.
He moved to Paris in the 1960s, and, more or less by accident, became a DJ. His complex cultural background may have prompted him to mix musical styles. By the late 1980s, he was pushing boundaries on the dance floor, seeking ways to work African, Asian, and Arabic music into the mix; using instruments such as the doumbek, sarangi, harmonium, oud, violin, and mrindangam. Then, as the world music movement unfolded, Cheb-i-Sabbah began recording traditional and classical musicians himself and used those tracks to create new works — effectively, music "composed" by a DJ. Sabbah's music has been remixed by Karsh Kale, Transglobal Underground, Loop Guru, and Bassnectar.
Having completed four recordings, Sabbah recently returned to his native North Africa to gather the raw material for his most ambitious project to date, La Kahena, a set of eight pieces created from music by eight different acts, all featuring women singers.
Sabbah was nominated for the 2006 Award for World Music in the Club Global
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