The long-anticipated autobiography of Rikki Stein—longtime friend and manager of Afrobeat creator Fela Kuti- will be launched at the British Library this June.
Stein who is a highly influential manager for several African musicians as well as the American guitarist and singer, Jimi Hendrix will reveal riveting stories of his nearly six decades of touring with phenomenal bands in the book titled ‘Moving Music.’
His repertoire of music management include the Algerian singer and activist Rachid Taha, revolutionary Guinea’s Les Ballets Africains, the remarkable dance troupe which Stein toured internationally from 1986 to 1992, Bobi Wine, the courageous Ugandan singer and activist. Others include the Dalai Lama and Erykah Badu.
A gifted storyteller, Stein was born in an east London suburb in 1942. His grandparents arrived in England just before the First World War.
Moving Music shows Stein’s deep relationship with music. In 1981, Stein met Fela Kuti and a lifetime personal and professional relationship was formed which lasted until Fela’s death in 1997.
Moving Music is rich with insights and information about Afrobeat’s creator and his role in the creation and success of Fela! The Musical, and the annual Felabration celebrations initiated by Kuti’s daughter Yeni to mark her father’s post-humous birthday. Stein continues to amplify Fela’s legacy, including securing the reissue of all his recorded work and supporting the renovation project for the New Afrikan Shrine.
The cover art design of Moving Music is done by Stein’s daughter Chantal Azari, and the tour bus illustration is by Lemi Ghariokwu, who created the artwork for some of Fela Kuti’s most memorable album covers.