Author Archives: SugarMan.org

How rock ‘n’ roll fairytale led Sixto Diaz Rodriguez to be one of the most acclaimed musicians of his time – Scotland – Scotsman.com

Rodriguez   Scotland on Sunday Feature 11 nov 2012 While he was long forgotten in the US, Rodriguez was unwittingly achieving mythical status in South ­Africa. Decades later, he tells Fiona Shepherd about fame ­after 40 years in the wilderness IN THE internet age, it seems inconceivable that an artist could be unaware of theirContinueContinue reading “How rock ‘n’ roll fairytale led Sixto Diaz Rodriguez to be one of the most acclaimed musicians of his time – Scotland – Scotsman.com”

A Day In The Life: Rodriguez :: Blogs :: 1000 Words :: Paste

When Sixto Rodriguez recorded his debut album Cold Fact in 1969, he dreamed of pop stardom. But, far from the epicentre of the late ’60s folkie scene, the Detroit-based son of Mexican immigrants found that his defining statement was criminally overlooked. Rodriguez went back to reality, working as a gas station attendant, studying philosophy, campaigningContinueContinue reading “A Day In The Life: Rodriguez :: Blogs :: 1000 Words :: Paste”

Rodriguez / Big Concerts

The Mexican-American singer-songwriter known simply as, “Rodriguez” had been working on his music career in Detroit since the early 1960s. He recorded an album in 1969 that many believed was going to secure his reputation as one of the greatest recording artists of his generation. Instead, Cold Fact bombed and the Rodriguez seemingly disappeared intoContinueContinue reading “Rodriguez / Big Concerts”

Creative Recognition Awards Announced for 28th IDA Awards | International Documentary Association

The IDA has decided upon this year’s recipients of the Creative Recognition Awards for cinematography, editing, writing, and music. The winners were decided by the Creative Recognition Awards Committee, which is made up from the co-chairs of the Features Screening Committees. At this year’s IDA Awards ceremony, Best Cinematography will go to Women With Cows,ContinueContinue reading “Creative Recognition Awards Announced for 28th IDA Awards | International Documentary Association”

Searching for Sugar Man wins In-Edit international prize | Film Festival Watch

The Searching for Sugar Man juggernaut rolls on as Malik Bendjelloul’s sleeper hit about the unlikely resurrection of singer-songwriter Rodriguez copped the jury prize for Best International Documentary at the 10th Beefeater In-Edit music documentary festival in Barcelona. The awards were presented Saturday on the penultimate night of In-Edit, which drew around-the-block queues for dozensContinueContinue reading “Searching for Sugar Man wins In-Edit international prize | Film Festival Watch”

Film Review: Searching for Sugar Man

Bigger than Elvis – on the other side of the world I have a major fetish for really great songwriters. Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman, Jacques Brel, Stephen Sondheim, for starters … the list is exclusive, but it’s not terribly short. I consider myself to be something of a scholar in thisContinueContinue reading “Film Review: Searching for Sugar Man”

CHANGE means…being raised from the dead « My Rite of Passage

Some people refer to Sixto Rodriguez as the Jesus rock star because he rose from a lifetime of obscurity in his home country to stardom, albeit in a faraway land on a different continent. And even there, despite his cult status in South Africa, he was believed to be dead due to a myth thatContinueContinue reading “CHANGE means…being raised from the dead « My Rite of Passage”

At 70, Detroiter Rodriguez couldn’t be happier about his unlikely new fame | Music | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

Forget could’ve, should’ve, would’ve. For Detroit’s newest rock sensation — the comeback king known as Rodriguez — a career surge at age 70 is all about looking forward. With his Friday band performance at Pontiac’s Crofoot, the biggest metro Detroit date of his life, the musician born Sixto Rodriguez continues to reap the benefits ofContinueContinue reading “At 70, Detroiter Rodriguez couldn’t be happier about his unlikely new fame | Music | Detroit Free Press | freep.com”

Interview with the Director of Searching For Sugar Man

Malik Bendjelloul is the Director of Searching For Sugar Man, a film about the talented musician Rodriguez. He discusses how he discovered the story and made the film and shares some useful tips for filmmakers. The film has won several awards such as the audience award at the Sundance Film Festival.

Cape Town gets extra Rodriguez show | Channel24

Cape Town – Big Concerts announced on Wednesday that an extra Cape Town show has been added for legendary singer-songwriter Rodriguez’s tour to South Africa in 2013. With three sold-out shows so far, the extra performance was added due to an overwhelming demand and will be taking place on Thursday, 21 February 2013, a dayContinueContinue reading “Cape Town gets extra Rodriguez show | Channel24”

Rodriguez w/ Jenny O – House of Blues Bronze Peacock Room – Houston, TX – REVIEW – HoustonMusicReview.com

Several weeks ago I was watching Sixty Minutes after the ball game and saw a segment on “Rodriguez: The Rock Icon That Didn’t Know It” and one of the songs that was featured aroused an old scratchy vinyl memory. It came up from someplace between Dylan and Donovan, Phil Ochs and Gil Scott-Heron. I knewContinueContinue reading “Rodriguez w/ Jenny O – House of Blues Bronze Peacock Room – Houston, TX – REVIEW – HoustonMusicReview.com”

Rodriguez concert raises the question: What if?

‘Are there any Africans in the house?” joked Sixto Diaz Rodriguez as he took the stage at a sold-out World Cafe Live on Sunday night. As fate would have it, the 70-year-old psych-folk singer from Detroit owes his belated fame to the people of South Africa. After his two critically acclaimed, early-1970s albums flopped inContinueContinue reading “Rodriguez concert raises the question: What if?”