Who Say I Tire

As a Nigerian musician, composer and bandleader who reached his peak in the early 70s, Segun Bucknor has inevitably been overshadowed by Fela Kuti. It’s a shame because although Bucknor’s music is a close cousin to Kuti’s – the dirty groove and shout-style of vocals of ‘Adebo’ for example – his was an important if short spell as a key figure on the Lagos scene. Billed as the largest compilation of Bucknor’s music to date, this double album nevertheless includes only a few tracks not to be released on an earlier Strut Records compilation, an indicator that the best of Segun Bucknor is drawn from a fairly small set of work. Indeed, his music career was relatively brief. It took off following his return to Lagos after studying in New York in the late 60s, where he had grown to love soul music. With his band The Soul Assembly he recorded songs like ‘Only in My Sleep’, which demonstrates an expressive voice but not much in the way of musical innovation.

Bucknor quickly moved beyond soul pastiche, however, and with a new band, The Revolution, he forged a powerful African funk fusion that propelled songs concerned with social and political issues. ‘Sorrow Sorrow Sorrow’ is a call to rise above life’s burdens, while his most famous track, ‘Son of January 15th’ refers to the date of Nigeria’s first coup. Bold, brassy, full of vigour and often morphing into extended funk workouts, these tracks represent a prequel to Fela’s revolution and are Who Say I Tire’s standout tracks.