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 into obscurity, even being subject to rumours that he had committed suicide by setting himself on fire onstage and other imaginative tales. The album took on a life of its own when a bootleg recording found its way into our own South Africa. Banned by the Apartheid government, the album became a nationwide phenomenon over the next two decades, and the soundtrack to a resistance movement of liberal African youth. Back in Detroit, living a hardscrabble life, Rodriguez was totally unaware that he was not just a folk hero but a household name thousands of miles away.
Eventually, two South African fans then set out to find out what really happened to their hero, and their investigation led them to a story more extraordinary than any of the many myths they'd heard. Their story forms the basis of the recently released documentary Searching For Sugarman which was a big hit at this year's Sundance Film Festival where it won the world documentary audience award and a special jury award, and it received fantastic reviews at this year's SXSW, Tribeca film festival, Sydney film festival and several others around the world. He has since appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman and Rodriguez was recently featured on the television program, 60 minutes.
Johannesburg - Presented by Talk Radio 702 and M-Net
15th February 2013
Big Top Arena, Carnival City
Tickets from R225 - R520
Cape Town - presented by 567 Cape Talk and M-Net
20th February 2013
Grand Arena, GrandWest
Tickets from R310 - R520
