Chani: WHEN DESTINY WANTS TO TOY WITH SOMEONE (Searching for Sugar Man)

Last Thursday I went to watch this film of the “Ciclo de Cine e Idiomas” in Van Dyck cinema, Salamanca. The experience was absolutely amazing and rewarding. Even though I had previously heard of the incredible but true history of Rodriguez I couldn’t help being moved. 

First and foremost, the documentary made me feel at the beginning as if the protagonist was dead. Furthermore, I couldn’t certainly image how something like that could have happened in this supposedly advanced and modern world.  

To a certain extent, I dare say that it is really difficult to be a prophet in your homeland. This is precisely what happened to Rodriguez, who started his musical career in his native Detroit, Michigan. His songs, based on the cruel reality of the miserable, deprived neighbourhood where he lived, are like a scream of protest against social injustice. Contrary to popular belief, not only do his critical lyrics focus on the downside of a dire situation but they also show a slight light of hope on the horizon.

The music company Sussex Records released only two albums by Rodriguez and, quite ironically, dismissed him two weeks before Christmas, as he writes in one of his songs. Unfortunately, this artist was not successful in his own country so he gave up music and carried on working in the construction industry. As far as I am concerned, the owner of Sussex, who is interviewed in the film, is the one to blame for so many years lost for Rodriguez.

A young "Sixto" Rodriguez back in the early 70s

Little did he imagine what life had in store for him. Meanwhile, far away from the USA, the story of this great singersongwriter was being written in capital letters. In South Africa, his two albums, “Cold Fact” and “Coming from Reality”, reached the peak of success. What is more, they became so popular that Rodriguez was compared to his well-known, contemporary fellow artist Bob Dylan. Not to mention the fact that in South Africa, people were living the terrible “Apartheid” – the rights of the majority of the black citizens were curtailed. Obviously, people rebelled against the tyrannical government through submissive, peaceful protests in which Rodriguez’s songs were like a strong symbol of resistance and true hymns of freedom. 

I can’t help telling you that “yes, Rodriguez is still alive!” His life took a U-turn. The first gig he played in South Africa in 1998, almost 25 years after he recorded his music, face to face with his devoted fans, was absolutely spectacular. The concert hall was full to overflowing and the audience exploded in a burst of applause. I really liked what Rodriguez said: “Thanks for keeping me alive”.

Finally, I have to praise director Malik Bendjelloul for his good decision to carry on with the determination to find Rodriguez wherever he was. Of course, I eagerly recommend you to watch Searching for Sugar Man. There are still some questions on the air to be answered such as what happened to the royalties produced by the sales of Rodriguez’s albums in South Africa? Apparently, his record company received the money but the singer did not have any knowledge. Is Rodriguez going to delight us with new songs? I hope so!

Well done, Chani! You know, I can't emphasize enough, however enthusiastically I recommended you guys the film in class, that I totally, utterly love "Searching for Sugar Man" (so much so that I've watched it three times!) Not only Rodriguez's moving life story but, above all, his awesome music, which indeed deserves recognition, as it's mentioned in the movie.

So allow me to embed this clip of an interesting interview with Rodriguez himself and the film's director, during the promotion of the highly praised, critically acclaimed documentary.

Finally, just to give an example of his immense, unrecognized talent as a (sadly wasted) singer-songwriter, I'd like to post a song whose lyrics are sheer poetry to my ears. It's called "Cause" and it's said to be the last song Rodriguez ever recorded in his fleeting career. Sadly, dear Chani, I'm afraid he's just too old now, in his early 70s, so way past his prime, to pen any more songs. But his late legacy is one of amazing beauty. Enjoy!