Feb 21, 20 sixto rodriguez sugar man zinzinmoretto. How searching for sugar man unearthed the legend of rodriguez. Here are 10 things you may not know about rodriguez. In 1998, rodriguez s signature song, sugar man, was covered by the south african rock band just jinger and the scottish singersongwriter paolo nutini. In the late 60s, two celebrated producers who were struck by his soulful melodies and prophetic lyrics discovered a musician in a detroit bar. The 2012 movie searching for sugar man belatedly made a minor star out of the musician sixto diaz rodriguez.
Searching for sugar man is a film about hope, inspiration and the resonating power of music. Searching for sugar man is a 2012 swedishbritishfinnish documentary film about a south. Jan 19, 20 the title of the oscarnominated film is searching for sugar man. Searching for sugar man is a documentary that both perpetuates and shatters the myth surrounding the little heard musician known as rodriguez. Rodriguezs music, which had never achieved success in the united states, had become very popular in south africa although little was known. The movie shows the successful quest of a record seller in cape town south africa to track down the mysterious rodriguez of unknown location, and bring him. In may 20, rodriguez received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from his alma mater, wayne state university, in detroit. Mar 28, 20 but while searching for sugar man soundtrack and dvd now available is a fantastic film, it only grazes the surface of rodriguezs life story. Listen free to rodriguez searching for sugar man sugar man, crucify your mind and more. Rodriguez in searching for sugar man 2012 alfre woodard at an event for. Two fans, stephen segerman and craig bertholomew, made it their business to find out exactly what happened to the singer rodriguez. Searching for sugar man original motion picture soundtrack.
Its basic premise is that somehow his records became hits in south africa but everybody thought he was dead, so they went looking for him. Searching for sugar man a malik bendjelloul documentary. What likely happened to the royalties for sugar man. In the early 70s he released two albums that sold only a handful of copies in america yet in apartheid era south africa, rodriguez music became a sensation and a call for change. In 1997, stephen sugar segerman set up a website, called the great rodriguez hunt, with the intention of finding any information about the mysterious us musician of cold fact fame. Parents need to know that searching for sugar man is an acclaimed documentary with some references to drug use and some news footage of police and protester violence during apartheid. But on the other side of the world, he inspired a generation. Searching for sugar man follows two south african fans who set out to find. Rodriguez was born on july 10, 1942 in detroit, michigan, usa as sixto diaz rodriguez.
The remarkable true story of rodriguez, searching for sugarman won the best documentary oscar in 20. Searching for sugar man is a documentary that enlists us in the process of its search. He was named sixto pronounced seextoe because he was the sixth child in his family. Sugar man, wont you hurry cause im tired of these scenes for a blue coin wont you bring back all those colors to my dreams silver magic ships you carry jumpers, coke. Jan 21, 20 for those of you that dont know the story, searching for sugar man is the tale of an american musician who went by the name of rodriguez aka sixto and put out two records in the early 70s.
In the same year brian currin established climb up on my music, a tribute site to the life and works of rodriguez. Carnegie music hall of homestead pittsburgh, pa get tix. Searching for sugar man recounts the unbelievable joining the dots that led the researchers to a great human story, about the love for music, humanity at its best and how a great dream came true. Rodriguez had no success in america, but in africa he was huge, and he didnt even know it. Rodriguez s parents were middleclass immigrants from mexico, who left in the 1920s. Rodriguez himself is also often referred to as the sugar man. Searching for sugar man could be the centrepiece of the you cant make this stuff up film festival. Searching for sugar man was the opening film at the sundance film festival in january 2012, where it won the special jury prize and the audience award for best international documentary. Decades after detroit singersongwriter rodriguez disappeared following the. I was born and bred in detroit, four blocks from the city center.
Its almost impossible to see a movie these days without knowing too many of its surprises, and searching for sugar man is one of those thats best seen with as little knowledge of its. A detective tale with more than one thrilling development, swedish documentarymaker malik. Searching for sugar man stars amazing journey erupts into. In 2002, it was used by discjockey david holmes to open his mix album, come get it i got it, gaining rodriguez more international airplay. He was a star in the making, who vanished without a trace. The weekly comet hosts tamara conniff and jonathan mchugh present an exclusive performance with singersongwriter rodriguez, who is the subject of the oscar winning searching for sugar man. When he found out, he went on tour in africa and this was the reaction of the public. Awardwinning south african documentary filmmaker craig foster picked searching for sugarman by malik bendjelloul as his best africanset documentary. Rodriguez reflects on a crazy year with a hollywood ending duration. After being discovered in a detroit bar, rodriguezs sound struck 2 renowned producers and they signed a recording deal. Malik bendjellouls searching for sugar man the new york. Searching for sugar man true story or the making of a. This was told in the 2012 academy awardwinning documentary film searching for sugar man and helped give rodriguez a measure of fame in his home country.
Long rumored there to be dead by suicide, a few fans in the. Discovered in a detroit bar in the late 60s by two celebrated producers struck by. Unknown to rodriguez, his musical story continued in south africa where he became a. Unknown to rodriguez, his musical story continued in south africa where he became a pop music icon and inspiration for generations. I describe myself as musicopolitico, rodriguez said recently. In may swedish filmmaker malik bendjelloul who had won an oscar for searching for sugar man shocked everyone by taking his own life. The film follows the story of two south african fans who set out to find out what really.
Searching for malik bendjelloul a tragedy revisited film the. Searching for sugar man trailer searching for sugar man hd searching for sugar man movie malik bendjelloul documentary hd 2012. Here are some names we have seen in various places online, including a few publications that really should know better. Searching for sugar man is a 2012 swedishbritishfinnish documentary film about a south african cultural phenomenon, directed and written by malik bendjelloul, which details the efforts in the late 1990s of two cape town fans, stephen sugar segerman and craig bartholomew strydom, to find out whether the rumoured death of american musician sixto rodriguez was true and, if not, to discover what had become of him.
Searching for sugar man 2012 pg 1h 26m british movies decades after detroit singersongwriter rodriguez disappeared following the commercial failure of his albums, two fans try to track down their idol. Jul 22, 2012 searching for sugar man takes its title from sugar man, a bleak portrait of a drug dealer and his clients that is the first track on rodriguezs debut album, cold fact. Searching for sugar man tells the incredible true story of rodriguez, the. This is a film about hope, inspiration and the resonating power of music. From unsung talent to international star, the film searching for sugar man resurrected the legend of the onceforgotten singersongwriter sixto rodriguez. Rodriguez is a highly unusual and fascinating human being, and searching for sugar man is a very interesting look at his life, his music, and the strange, fickle nature of fame. Two south africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, rodriguez. It follows sixto rodriguez more commonly known as simply rodriguez, a detroit folk rock singersongwriter who was so good that he got a record contract while he. Discover more music, concerts, videos, and pictures with the largest catalogue online at.
Cult singer rodriguez risen in new film sugar man billboard. Searching for sugar man 2012 pg 1h 26m british movies decades after detroit singersongwriter rodriguez disappeared following the commercial failure of. Sugar man, wont you hurry cause im tired of these scenes for a blue coin wont you bring back all those colors to my dreams silver magic ships you carry jumpers, coke, sweet mary jane sugar man met a false friend on a lonely dusty road lost my heart when i found it it had turned to dead black coal silver magic ships you carry jumpers, coke, sweet mary jane sugar man youre the answer that. The film tells the story of an unknown american musician who struck it big in apartheid south africa but critics says it omitted crucial facts about the life of sixto rodriguez. He wonders whether the messiness of life without a movie like searching for sugar man to keep bendjellouls attention focused contributed to his death. It follows sixto rodriguez more commonly known as simply rodriguez, a detroit folk rock singersongwriter who was so good that he got a record contract while he was only a small time pub singer. Searching for sugar man official trailer hd 2012 youtube. The evolution of the financing, production, and filming of searching for sugar man is as fascinating and complex as the life of rodriguez himself. In the late 1990s he received a comment on that page no, not from rodriguez but from someone who had information. This slow bluesy rock song is a paean to his drug dealer, however rodriguez said on a tv interview in march 1998 that this song is descriptive not prescriptive.
Searching for sugar man is a documentary that won the 2012 academy award for best documentary feature. The title of the oscarnominated film is searching for sugar man. Searching for sugar man takes its title from sugar man, a bleak portrait of a drug dealer and his clients that is the first track on rodriguezs debut album, cold fact. Jun 11, 2014 he wonders whether the messiness of life without a movie like searching for sugar man to keep bendjellouls attention focused contributed to his death. Jul 27, 2012 its almost impossible to see a movie these days without knowing too many of its surprises, and searching for sugar man is one of those thats best seen with as little knowledge of its. With rodriguez, stephen sugar segerman, dennis coffey, mike theodore. The movie shows the successful quest of a record seller in cape town south africa to track down the mysterious rodriguez of unknown location, and bring him out to perform in south africa. Searching for sugar man, winnaar van een oscar voor beste documentaire.
Searching for sugar man spotlights the musician rodriguez. Rodriguezs parents were middleclass immigrants from. If there is any chance you know nothing about this film, i am not going to reveal its ending. In the early 1970s, sixto rodriguez was a detroit folksinger who had a shortlived recording career with only two well received but nonselling albums. Searching for sugarman looking for sugar man looking for rodriguez waiting for sugarman the search for the sugarman the search for sugar searching for. Searching for sugar man official uk trailer an award.
Jul 29, 2012 cult singer rodriguez risen in new film sugar man searching for sugar man is a documentary about a musician very few people had heard about prior to this year. In 1997, stephen sugar segerman set up a website, called the great rodriguez hunt, with the intention of. Expect strong, but brief swearing, specifically in lyrics, including faggot, fk, and hooker. For those of you that dont know the story, searching for sugar man is the tale of an american musician who went by the name of rodriguez aka. Sugar man refers to the title of one of rodriguezs most popular songs, about a tormented man looking for the eponymous drug dealer. Cult singer rodriguez risen in new film sugar man searching for sugar man is a documentary about a musician very few people had heard about prior to this year. Searching for sugar man tells the incredible true story of rodriguez, the greatest 70s rock icon who never was. Searching for sugar man is a 2012 swedishbritishfinnish documentary film about a south african cultural phenomenon, directed and written by malik bendjello. Those who have seen searching for sugar man might think they know the astonishing tale of sixto rodriguez, but theres an important aspect of the musicians story that is now coming to light.
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