STORIES Rodriguez's story as told in the film "Sugar Man" and the facts that were not shown
A)
"It's not rare to create a masterpiece that doesn't sell well. And that's two albums". If I were to compare it to the lyrics of a Tom Jones song, that would be it. It's not unusual for an artist to put out an album, not have a hit and disappear.
But it's also not uncommon for those albums to be rediscovered and the artists to become international stars some 40 years later. That's what makes Sixto Rodriguez's story so exciting.
B)
Searching for Sugar Man
Rodriguez's story is now well-known thanks to the award-winning 2012 documentary Searching For Sugar Man.
The Detroit-based singer-songwriter released two albums on Los Angeles-based Sussex Records in 1970 and 1971, but both failed to impress. He was eventually dropped in the United States.
Sometime later, however, the album somehow found its way into the hands of people in South Africa. The anti-apartheid movement in his country supported the anti-racist lyrics of the work, and thousands of bootlegs were eventually released.
Anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko also apparently had a copy, and if so, it would have been the best endorsement we could have hoped for.
But nobody knows where or who Rodriguez is. As rumours spread that he had "apparently died horribly", several fans began to work to find out the truth...
C)
Rediscovery
Amid this, the late Swedish Malik Benjelloul, director of Sugarman, chronicles the journey of two Cape Town fans to find and locate Rodriguez. Rodriguez was still alive and probably one of the last people in Detroit without a mobile phone or internet.
So Rodriguez was invited to South Africa to perform live, and Benjelloul's work "Sugarman: The Man Who Was Loved by Miracles" culminates in a moving scene that captures the pattern.
The rediscovery of Rodriguez, seen by most of the world, occurred within the film. Throughout the film, the director has carefully placed certain songs to maximise their effect, ensuring that particularly memorable songs are played more than once.
In particular, "Sugar Man" and "I Wonder" were used in scenes dealing with drug dealing and sexual jealousy, issues that are still prevalent today. The songs left such a strong impression on the audience that they stayed with them long after the film ended.
Sugarman also won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2013.
In the years since, Rodriguez has toured extensively, introducing his work from the early 1970s to audiences unfamiliar with his music.
D)
The 1970s, out of the spotlight
But if Rodriguez is so great, why didn't the masses embrace his records in real time? One possible explanation could be insufficient support from the Sussexes, who released Rodriguez's work.
However, it also worked against Rodriguez that the Sussex label had just signed Bill Withers, an artist with more star potential who played soulful, acoustic music. One of the reasons may have been that the pop world in 1971 was full of talent.
With all the glitz and glamour everywhere, it was common for people to walk past street poets like Rodríguez without saying, "Oh, I saw you there too. It's hard to find an audience with incredible songwriting skills; ask Nick Drake, Judy Sill or Arthur Lee (although I don't think it's possible).
F)
Facts not shown in the film "Sugar Man: The Man Who Was Loved by Miracles''.
However, as many who have seen the film have pointed out, there is an error in "Sugar Man''.
Rodriguez may have been unknown, but he was far from ignored. His songs were being covered as early as 1977. The first person to pick them up was Susan Cowsill, a former child star who has since embarked on a solo career (she is also a member of the Continental Drifters).
G)
"It's not rare to create a masterpiece that doesn't sell well. And that's two albums". If you compare it to the lyrics of a Tom Jones song, it's true. It's rare for an artist to put out an album that doesn't become a hit and disappear.
But it's not every day that these albums are rediscovered, and the artist becomes an international star 40 years later. That's what makes Sixto Rodriguez's story so exciting.
H)
Rodriguez's story is now well-known thanks to the award-winning 2012 documentary Searching For Sugar Man.
The Detroit-based singer-songwriter released two albums for Los Angeles-based Sussex Records in 1970 and 1971, but neither was a big success. He soon became obsolete in America.
But somehow, much later, the album ended up in South Africa. The song's anti-racist lyrics were supported by people in the anti-apartheid movement there, and thousands of bootleg copies were eventually sold.
It seems that anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko also owned a copy, and if he did, it would have been the ultimate endorsement. But no one knows where Rodriguez is. As rumours spread that he had died a horrible death, some fans set out to find out the truth...
I)
Aphorisms from the past
However, it is also true that until the film was released, very few people in America knew about Rodriguez's music. This is where pop culture gets interesting. Suddenly, listeners could discover his work from the early 1970s and enjoy it as if experiencing something new.
Rodriguez's trademark fusion of folk and soul may have sounded unremarkable at its release, but it sounds more familiar today. It's no coincidence that Dave Matthews covered 'Sugar Man'.
The Detroit songwriter's warnings about racism and political corruption (and the hippie-culture spice he injected into songs like "A Most Disgusting Song") may not have been commonplace in 1971. But in an era when Rodriguez was being rediscovered, these works struck a chord with people as fresh maxims.
J)
Never-ending quest
2015, Rodriguez toured the USA with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. It was a competition between two talents that exceeded expectations.
He has written everything from Great American Songbook standards (``On The Street Where You Live'' is one example) to songs by hippie-era rock bands like The Doors and Jefferson Airplane. Play a wide variety of music.
K)
"It's not unusual to make a masterpiece that doesn't sell at all. That's two albums". If you compare it to the lyrics of a Tom Jones song, it's true. It's rare for an artist to put out an album that doesn't become a hit and disappear.
But it's not every day that these albums are rediscovered, and the artist becomes an international star 40 years later. That's what makes Sixto Rodriguez's story so exciting.
STORIES Rodriguez's story that came into the limelight in the movie "Searching For Sugar Man" and the facts that were not shown
https://www.udiscovermusic.jp/stories/rodriguez-legacy-searching-for-sugar-man
Searching For Sugar Man
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2125608/
Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock and roller Rodriguez.
Rodriguez: First performance in Africa, the crowd goes crazy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e70oln-7evM
Searching For Sugar Man
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4a9Pggem5E
Sugar Man
Rodriguez - live at Best Kept Secret 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUbrTBtIdH4
