What would it be like to find out your next-door neighbor
was bigger than the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan, yet no one you
know has ever heard of him. This is the question presented in the fantastic
documentary Searching for Sugar Man.
The film opens with scenes of the
South African landscape, in particular an awe inducing shot of Table Mountain. From here, we encounter a record store
owner. He begins the tale of an
enigmatic superstar who sparked a rebellion in the youth culture of South
Africa that would eventually lead to the end of Apartheid. "˜Sugar Man' is in
reference to a popular song by the mysterious artist simply known as
Rodriguez. He is a mythical
troubadour, and it takes dedication from the record owner and a curious
journalist to track down what really happened to the singer.
Even though the government has
banned his songs, most South Africans know his music thanks to bootleg copies
that have circulated among the population. Almost every South African has heard
wild rumors about Rodriguez's demise ranging from self-inflicted gunshot wounds
to lighting himself on fire. It's not a major spoiler to say that they
successfully tracked down the mysterious singer who is alive and well in
Detroit.
It's hard to imagine, but the man
that they spent decades looking for was a bit drawl in the U.S. The two men go
so far as to contact the original owner of the record company who jokingly
states that "Rodriguez probably only sold 6 copies and me and my daughter
bought two."
One glaring issue for Searching for Sugar Man is the disparity
in its coverage and release. Most of the film footage takes place prior to
1998. Why did it take so long to
make and what has happened since then?
Of course the real star of the film
is the music by Rodriguez. It is
both poetic and rapturous as it makes me fully understand how his music could
really gain so much admiration. When you finally meet Sixto Rodriguez, he
doesn't disappoint. He is just as
mysterious now as he was when you knew nothing about him. And in a weird sort of way, this simple
fact makes him all the more interesting.
