I came
across this ‘story’ in July as a recommended film to see – which bewitched me
... and I had to make sure I saw it before they took it off the big screen ...
I’d asked our film society if the cinema would be showing it down here – I was
admonished ... it’s not our sort of thing – yet now three months on, I wonder
if they will change their minds ...
 |
| IMDb Film Poster |
Here’s
another way of telling a story – apparently a non-existent story at that – a
story across continents, with a tie in to London, across four decades ...
superlative comparisons to Dylan and those of his ilk ... what went wrong ...
(You could click this link and listen to some of his words and music as you read this - repeated at end of post)
Searching for Sugar Man – is
really an unbelievable story – I eventually got to see the film and if it had
been on again at the next showing I’d have stayed in my seat .... I have never
in my life been completely mesmerised ... so I went back to London to see it
once again: same reaction – mesmerised, still am!
 |
| Chapman's Peak Drive on a clear day! |
I have
to tell you about it – you’ve gathered that haven’t you!
Someone
who is described as a better musician and lyricist than Dylan ... a man who is
also described as one of the best in their stable ... others include Marvin
Gaye, Woody Guthrie, but where is he, who is he ...
The
story starts with a fuzzy implied 1970s film sequence of a trip along Chapman’s
Peak Drive in an open top car pondering who
is Rodriguez ... where is he ...
Back in
the early 70s an American girl visited South Africa bringing with her a copy of
an album titled ‘Cold Facts’ ... it
became the rage and everyone wanted a copy – Rodriguez became a cult singer
selling masses of his two albums (‘Coming
from Reality’ being the other one) – hundreds of thousands – but no-one
knew anything about him.
 |
| Montage of Cape Town |
South
Africa was a closed society in the 1970s ... the rest of the world might have
been pillorying the South African (apartheid) government ... the white liberal South
Africans had no idea – all media was shut out, everything was censored.
Yet
Sixto Rodgriguez’s lyrics had an immense impact in South Africa ... his
eloquent attacks on prejudice, injustice and suppression appealed to young
white liberals who saw themes inspired by the troubles of traumas of the
American 1960s that were applicable to their own defiance of apartheid.
So
Rodriguez was selling lots of copies – he was bigger than the Stones or Elvis,
his records outsold Abbey Road - but there was no information – zilch! Once apartheid had been broken (1992)... the
search was on. But where to start? Authors of detective stories ... where to
start?!
What
evidence was around to look at ... the back of the 1970s albums where the
lyrics appeared mentioned various cities and towns (Detroit, London, New York,
Amsterdam) – all drew blanks: there just wasn’t any information ...
 |
| Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman: Cape Town record shop |
Two
South Africans an ex jeweller, now record shop manager Stephen ‘Sugar’ Segerman
and the music journalist Craig Bartholomew -Strydom had been fascinated by this
Detroit-based-folk rock singer ... who’d disappeared.
We are
taken back 40 years ... this time to the rust belt of Detroit ... where through
interviews with music colleagues from those early days, (including their
acknowledgement that he was on their list as one of the top five artists), Dearborn
run-down waterside bar tenders, co-labourers working on building sites ...
 |
| Cover of Cold Fact album |
...
then the very early internet opened up the world ... another look at the album
– the name of ‘Dearborn’ suddenly stood out – via an early forum one of
Rogriguez’s daughters replied ... saying he’s my Dad!
We
learn that he’s alive ... and has spent his time singing in bars, but ensuring
his daughters’ education by working as a manual labourer ... we are given some
more background (he has a philosophy degree) and present history ...
The two
South African “investigators” are eventually rewarded ... now we fast forward a
little to 1998 ... Rodriguez is persuaded to go to South Africa, where he’s a
hero, and play to enormous adoring crowds.
Malik
Bendjelloul, a documentarist making films on rock musicians for Swedish
television met the South African questors in Cape Town and was determined to
make a film of their obsessive pursuit.
Bendjelloul
considered it offered unique insights into the history of popular music, the
vagaries of the rock scene and the nature of celebrity in our time.
What
makes the story particularly intriguing is that the end is happy without being
truimphalist ... this modest, very talented man didn’t become a star and,
despite the recent developments, shuns the trappings of luxury that come with
being a rock star.
 |
| Rodriguez in Detroit Institute of Art |
Here
lies a rousing documentary turned into a detective story ... which is
painstakingly created adding layer upon layer of intrigue ... pulling all the
pieces together – accompanied by this wonderful music ... until his return in
1998 to South Africa – where the awestruck South Africans welcome Rodriguez
back ...
There
are more twists and turns to the movie and subsequent developments ... but if
you’d like to glance briefly at the social history of apartheid South Africa,
see run down Detroit as it was, hear about rock history shenanigans ...
...
this makes a wonderful feel-good film ... with a cast including Rodriguez,
Segerman, Bartholomew-Strydom, Dennis Coffey (guitarist from Detroit,
publishing under the Motown, Sussex and Westbound labels), Mike Theodore (producer
engineer working with Coffey) et al ....
 |
| The Roundhouse Venue - an old engine house |
... the
AllinLondon website has this synopsis: “Searching for Sugar Man tells the true story
of the greatest 70s US rock icon who never was, how he was rediscovered in a
far off land and finally became the legend he always deserved to be. It is a story of hope, inspiration and the
power of music” ...
... The
Guardian states that ‘Not all whites were
philistine racists: many were trapped by history and fate and the apartheid
laws they detested. Rodridguez’s music
gave them a voice – and indirectly helped to change things. This movie might itself make a modest
contribution to rewriting the history of white South Africa.”
It was
the opening film at the Sundance Film Festival this year (winning the Special
Jury Prize and the audience Award for best international documentary) ... it
holds a 96% “Certified Fresh” rating on the review aggregator of Rotten
Tomatoes ...
... while
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film a glowing four-star review,
writing “I hope you’re able to see this film ... and yes, it exists because we
need it to .... “
Join me
in discovering some rock history – relax and watch a story unfold, while
listening to some amazing music, with enlightening lyrics ... still appropriate
for today ...
Here
are some links:
... track 3:
Crucify Your Mind
... track 4:
This is Not a Song, It’s an Outburst: Or, The Establishment Blues
... track 8:
I wonder
“Sugar
Man” track 1 – can be found here (3.48)
Rodriguez
has finally been recognised in the States – he’s been interviewed, done some
shows, and next week is here in the UK at The Roundhouse, London; Royal Festival
Hall London; Liverpool; Gateshead; Edinburgh; Belfast; Brighton; Bristol and
Manchester ...
Searching
for Sugar Man takes me along my journey of life ... a social history of life in
South Africa in the 70s ... a growing understanding of the genres of music (rock,
folk, soul, funk etc) ... some highlights of the Detroit music industry ... a
relook at the world as it is now – correlations are to be found to this day ...
Some
quotes:
·
Bob Dylan ... was mild compared to this guy ...
·
.. a wandering spirit around the city ...
·
Every revolution needs an anthem ... soundtrack
to our lives ...
·
Like a wise man, a prophet – way beyond his musical
qualities ..
·
Representative of the human spirit .. of what is
possible ..
·
Powerful, uplifting and unforgettable ...
Enjoy!
Hilary
Melton-Butcher
Positive
Letters Inspirational Stories
So I say three cheers for Lee ... he
has had helpers I know ... but the main man has been Lee – thanks Lee so much. 
