The NME described it best in the headline for their end of 2012 round up as the year “The World Fell In Love With Rodriguez“, and that pretty much sums it up….
We at SugarMan.org wish Rodriguez, Eva, Sandra, Regan, and all the Rodriguez Family, and of course Malik, Craig, Matt and Camilla, a wonderful, happy, healthy and prosperous New Year 2013.
And to everyone who contributed articles, blogs, pictures, emails, stories, experiences or just messages of love and support for Rodriguez to the SugarMan.org website during 2012, we thank you with all our hearts.
It has always been a sincere privilege for us to have been a part of this great man and musician’s journey for the past 15 years, and we look forward to continuing to bring you All The Facts about Rodriguez, so keep reading and listening.
Love, Peace and Music to you all!
Sugar and Brian.
“Sugar Man, you’re the answer, that makes our questions disappear”
The NME described it best in the headline for their end of 2012 round up as the year “The World Fell In Love With Rodriguez“, and that pretty much sums it up….
We at SugarMan.org wish Rodriguez, Eva, Sandra, Regan, and all the Rodriguez Family, and of course Malik, Craig, Matt and Camilla, a wonderful, happy, healthy and prosperous New Year 2013.
And to everyone who contributed articles, blogs, pictures, emails, stories, experiences or just messages of love and support for Rodriguez to the SugarMan.org website during 2012, we thank you with all our hearts.
It has always been a sincere privilege for us to have been a part of this great man and musician’s journey for the past 15 years, and we look forward to continuing to bring you All The Facts about Rodriguez, so keep reading and listening.
Love, Peace and Music to you all!
Sugar and Brian.
“Sugar Man, you’re the answer, that makes our questions disappear”
A few months ago I posted a summary and response to the independent film, “Searching for Sugar Man,” which tells the unbelievable true story of the humble yet legendary musician, Sixto Rodriguez. I had viewed the film’s SXSW Festival premier by pure chance this past spring with a friend, and have ever since adored the talents of this beloved human being, Rodriguez. Today a free poster from the event is proudly tacked on my bedroom wall. Just a few inches from the computer’s glowing white Apple icon, a Rodriguez sticker is pasted onto my MacBook Pro. “Coming From Reality,” Rodriguez’s second album, sits at the top of my small CD collection.
I remember peeking out from behind a pillar of a hotel in downtown Austin, Texas with my friend Kim the day after we saw the film back in March. There he was, to our surprise, in all his glory; Rodriguez, in the flesh, about to step into a car. He had attended and spoken at the premiere of “Sugar Man” the night before. Now he was here before us, a wondrous surprise dropped right in the middle of our stroll through the city.
The other reason why I didn’t do so much about the money was Rodriquez. He is a really, really different man when it comes to that stuff. I never met anyone like him. He literally doesn’t want it. You first think it’s crazy, but when you think about it, it actually makes sense. He never started to consume. And when you don’t consume there are a lot of sacrifices, of course; you can’t buy stuff and you can’t do stuff and you can’t go travelling to Mexico on nice vacations, but you also win something. You gain some freedom. No one can every tell him he has to do this, because he can always say, no I don’t need to, because I don’t need your money. I have to do stuff that I don’t want often, because I have this lifestyle that I’ve started to support. So why didn’t I say more about money? Because in the end it was only me that cared about money, because I am a normal guy who cares about money and you are too that’s why you asked that question, but he doesn’t. His is a different story. He is a different guy. – Malik Bendjelloul
Two South Africans go on a quest to find cult US musician Sixto Rodriguez, whose lyrics of struggle and injustice had a huge impact in their apartheid-stained country in the ’70s. Cue a gloriously happy ending. The film is out on DVD and Blu-ray on 27 December. Best bit: The feverish reception for Rodriguez when he visits South Africa.
The documentary follows Swedish director Malik Bendjelloul’s quest to discover the story of 70s singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez.
Searching for Sugar Man, the acclaimed music documentary from Swedish director Malik Bendjelloul and one of the 15 titles on the 2013 Oscar shortlist for Best Documentary, has racked up an impressive $1 million in box office revenues in Scandinavia, according to local distributor NonStop Entertainment.
4. SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN – A documentary? A mystery? Or a musical? The story of how a couple of South African fans who set off on a trans-Atlantic journey to discover what happened to their musical hero, Rodriguez, forgotten 1970s American folk singer, will move you in so many ways. A future Oscar winner? Bet on it.
As we all learned from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, there’s a truth in legends that transcends mere facts. If you’re still unfamiliar with the quasi-mythical story of Sixto Rodriguez (as most people outside South Africa and Australia apparently were until this award-winning documentary made headlines) then Searching for Sugar Man (2012, StudioCanal, 12) tells a story so seeped in intertwining fact and fiction that you may start to wonder whether the whole thing isn’t a set-up. Which, to some extent, it is…
The Black Sheep Rockonspiracy is the brainchild of East German-born Kilian Nestler, who made South Africa his home in 1994. He was previously involved in the semi-legal blues-rock East German underground as a fan, photographer, manager and creator of illegal anti-establishment merchandising. This lifestyle choice led to a 14 month prison term.
The band known currently as Freygang Band was formed in East Berlin in 1977 under the then oppressive socialist regime, as Freygang. The Blues euphoria in East Germany was reaching its peak at that time and the fans loved Freygang for their courage to freely express themselves. Progressive musicians and their fans had to survive troublesome times, including arrests and performance bans. Freygang have kept their appeal to younger audiences, by becoming harder, even with a touch of punk, through the inclusion of musicians who used to be fans and by always being authentic.
Nestler found out that in apartheid South Africa, under somehow similar, but political opposite circumstances, musicians like Piet Botha, had to endure the same troubles as Freygang. Piet Botha, who celebrated a 30 year recording career in 2009, is regarded by many as a true soldier of the Rock ‘n’ Roll lifestyle and an inspiration to fans and fellow musicians alike. These two forces, against all odds, still live the true spirit of rock ‘n’ roll, and Nestler had the vision to make them known to each other.
A desire for freedom and a dislike of politics, is the common background from where Freygang and Piet Botha emerged, as Piet Botha once said ”…that’s why we got into rock ‘n’ roll … we wanted to change the system”.
Kilian Nestler met Piet Botha at a few gigs and the idea of the Black Sheep Rockonspiracy was born.
The STRAB Festival, which was started in 2003 and is held every year in previously war-torn Mozambique, became the anchor point for creating a cultural exchange. After STRAB Mozambique 2013, Freygang will tour South Africa, collaborating and performing with a host of progressive South African bands.
This unique exchange will be documented by ARMADA FILM from Germany, and there is also a joint recording session at the HOME GROWN MUSIC STUDIO planned. The final highlight of this collaboration will be at the MERCURY in Cape Town.
Besides playing together, there will be discussions regarding the way artists can contribute to a better understanding of different cultures, how to use art and music as a weapon against ignorance ( i.e. xenophobia, religious intolerance, etc.) and many more important issues of the day.
Piet Botha and Akkedis will travel to Germany in August 2013 to perform at Freygang’s own underground festival and a number of other gigs.
Thanks to the unselfish contribution of many good-meaning people, the project has started to take shape, and who knows what the future holds, but one thing is for sure, the spirit of Rock ‘n Roll is alive and well.
