Samaya, A Benefit Album For Cheb i Sabbah, Release

Born in Constantine, Algeria in 1947, Cheb i Sabbah (whose DJ name translates as "young of the morning") began spinning soul records six nights a week in Parisian discothèques at seventeen. Influenced by his North African upbringing and the music of Jewish-Muslim-Andalusian cultures surrounding him, Sabbah's knowledge of Mediterranean dancefloor aesthetics has made hima beloved DJ on the international music scene, press notes state.

When Cheb i Sabbah was diagnosed with stage four cancer in 2011, he reached out to friends, family, and fans for help and they responded with much needed funds for his health care costs. He also asked for something more dear to him than money: music. The double-album Samaya: A Benefit Album for Cheb i Sabbah (1002 NIGHTS) is the result of his outreach. Featuring 22 songs from friends spread across the planet, including Karsh Kale, Nitin Sawhney, Natacha Atlas, Bill Laswell, Bombay Dub Orchestra, Kailash Kher, Zakir Hussain and many others, as well as a mastering job by Brian 'Big Bass' Gardner, who has mastered every one of Chebi's records. All proceeds from its sales will go towards offsetting the cost of ongoing medical treatment.

Samaya is also being released in conjunction with the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, which provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability or age-related problems. Founded by singer-songwriter Victoria Williams in 1993 after being forced off a tour with Neil Young due to multiple sclerosis, the organization has aided numerous artists in difficult situations for the past 19 years.

Visit http://www.chebisabbah.com/ for more information.