The former promoter and lifelong friend of the Master Musicians of Joujouka shares experiences from a six-decade career in the music business.
The recent publication of Rikki Stein’s memoirs offered a tantalising glimpse at experiences shaped by encounters with many of the biggest names in music over the last 60 years.
And now, an audio edition of Moving Music: The Memoirs of Rikki Stein is available on all major streaming platforms read by the man himself.
Rikki lived in Joujouka during the early 1970s, including when Ornette Coleman visited the village to make recordings later released on the album, Dancing In Your Head (1977).
In 1980 Rikki organised a 30-date tour of Europe for the Master Musicians of Joujouka, taking a 30-strong ensemble on the road, that included a show in Glastonbury.
In 2011, Rikki renewed his relationship with the Master Musicians of Joujouka. working with manager Frank Rynne and the current group, whose leader Ahmed El Attar was part of the 1980 tour, for the Master Musicians’ return to Glastonbury opening the Glastonbury Festival on the Pyramid Stage – a feat repeated in the summer of 2023.
Rikki also worked with the Master Musicians at the 2016 show later documented on their Live in Paris double album produced by Frank Rynne.
In a recent interview published on Simon Warner’s Rock and the Beat Generation blog, when asked if he still listened to their music, Rikki said: “Yes I do. I particularly like the recording made in the Centre Pompidou in 2016. I can never stop listening to the music.”
The audio edition of Moving Music is published by Recorded Books.
A statement for the book said: “Renowned music manager Rikki Stein has spent nearly six decades moving musicians around the world, and this book recounts a lifetime of adventure on the road. Always in the right place at the right time, Rikki was part of the great countercultural moments of the last century, from Woodstock and the Vietnam War Moratorium March to the launch of Glastonbury Festival.
“Rikki has toured some of the world’s most iconic musicians and groups, from The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Kinks, The Animals, The Yardbirds, The Moody Blues and the Grateful Dead to managing the Nigerian superstar Fela Kuti and many other iconic artists.
“Rikki’s journey is also a spiritual one, forged by his experience of living among the community of the Musicians of Joujouka, Morocco, who remain a key connection in his life to this day.
“Full of extraordinary, sometimes hilarious, stories of life on the road, this book recounts the joys, frustrations and surprises of juggling logistics, local politics and the whims of his creative clients to deliver true moments of moving music.”
Listen to the audiobook
Visit Recorded Books for links to all streaming platforms you can access Moving Music: The Memoirs of Rikki Stein
Moving Music: The Memoirs of Rikki Stein, published by Wordville, is available to order here and from all good bookshops
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Rikki Stein publishes musical memoirs including managing the Master Musicians of Joujouka
