It is with a heavy heart that we, Cheb i Sabbah’s family, announce his peaceful passing yesterday morning in his home in San Francisco. via

The Algerian global music pioneer died at the age of 66 after losing battle with stomach cancer. His music was the music of an interconnected planet — remixing arabic, asian and african influences into what at best can be described as a cultural musical bouillabaisse. His Shri Durga album from 1999 was a favorite of mine for a very long time! Let his music play, always and forever in Cheb-ji’s memory!

When it comes to music, there’s always that common ground — and that seems to be what music is able to do. It doesn’t resolve all the problems and conflicts, but within music you always find a common ground. – Cheb i Shabbah