Remain in Light, released by Talking Heads in 1980, grew out of the band's wish to be seen as a group rather than as David Byrne's vehicle. Working with producer Brian Eno, they built songs from looping grooves that blended African polyrhythms and Nigerian Afrobeat, pioneered by Fela Kuti, with funk and electronics. Byrne wrote in a scattered, stream-of-consciousness style, partly inspired by early rap. The album reached number 19 in the US and produced Once in a Lifetime. It is now often called the band's masterpiece.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.