Amidst the Friday morning snow of the Sundance Film Festival, 'Searching for Sugar Man' (Snow. Sun. Dance. Sugar, geddit!?), was one of the opening documentaries at the annual American film festival.
The story is one which most South Africans know. Music that made it across an ocean and into the tapedecks of teenagers and other anti-apartheid activists in South Africa, the music of Rodriguez was a sort of soundtrack for anti-establishment expression. As were the hippy happy drug-tinged references of Mary Jane and Sugar Man! Not to mention the one song that most associate with Rodriguez...
"And I wonder, how many times you've been had... and I wonder how many plans have gone bad.
I wonder how many times you've had sex, and I wonder do you know who'll be next...
I wonder, I wonder I do..."
The story itself is about the mission set upon by a couple of South Africans who spent a few years looking for Rodriguez back in the nineties - and then how they not only found him, but brought the living legend to South Africa!
A legend he is indeed - I will never forget when I had the opportunity (and how I excited I was!) to interview Rodriguez ahead of his first London show in 30 years! In 2004, albeit telephonically - on a very clear line from London to Cape Town - I felt like I was speaking to a channeled spirit, a voice of wisdom and knowing!
And I couldn't help wondering how he must be feeling at the age of 63 (and the same age as my dad at the time), to be reaching the fame he never had in the 70s! And like my dad, Rodriguez will this year be turning 70!
How fabulous that this story of the great search has made it to more people, his music reaching more minds and the 'Great Rodriguez Hunt' (conducted by Stephen Segerman and captured by Brian Currin), proving the power of the internet and getting the extra mileage for the good they did!
Read the Sundance review on TheWrap.com...
Rock on Rodriguez forever,
x
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