“I was gob-smacked,” Stein, now 81, says as he talks about first coming across Fela’s albums in the 1970s.

“The music spoke to me in a way I’d never encountered, exuding warmth, intimacy, excitement, and a constant anticipation. Every word spoke directly to my inner being, vividly describing life under a totalitarian regime, but I saw clearly how the message could be applied to any country.”“’What are you doing, standing there?’

I indicated the smoked-glass window. He walked over and clicked his fingers above the glass. The passport appeared. ‘C’mon Rikki, let’s go’.

“Fela drove us off. He was a great driver but, man, he drove fast, much as he lived his life.”

                                   When in Europe, Fela liked to have the heating cranked up high, Stein says

Their first encounter in a hotel room in London in 1982, when Stein was hoping to persuade Fela to take part in a music festival, hinted at what was to come.

“As I entered a wave of intense heat hit me.“For sheer mastery, panache, style, and guts, nobody could or can beat this guy.”

In 1984 Fela was appearing on stage with his mystical guru, a Ghanaian man known as Professor Hindu.

On the morning of the London show, Stein got a call from the publicist who was at the venue.

“’The Professor is here, digging a grave just outside.’ I called Fela, asking him if he knew why. ‘He doesn’t ask me why I play saxophone and I don’t ask him why he digs graves.’

“Come Sunday a large crowd gathered around the grave. Suddenly, the earth began to move and a hand appeared! I pulled Emmanuel out. His hands were warm.”