Rodriguez

I am very curious if any of you has ever heard of Rodriguez? Here is my story.

It was 2020, probably in the midst of the first pandemic hysteria. Netflix was turning red from overuse. I had run out of good movies and I was already fed up with the rest of the junk. So I started to browse documentaries: “how to sleep better” (nah, I sleep like a baby), “true narcos history” (nah..), “Justin Bieber?” you know what Ozzy said about him, right? (If you don’t, just ask YouTube) So again, big no…

“Searching for Sugar Man“?

Documentary about some guy called Rodriguez? Never heard of him… Legendary songwriter, musician and poet. Legendary in South Africa? I don’t know about you, but the only famous people from South Africa I knew then were Nelson Mandela and Trevor Noah. This guy? Nope!
I gave it a shot, and within minutes, I knew it was great, and totally worth convincing the rest of the gang to watch this instead of Star Wars part 174. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of Star Wars, but how many times can you watch it? And how many episodes are there?
Rodriguez’s story is incredibly fascinating and I’ll give you a little spoiler (or perhaps make you curious enough to watch it). Even if I reveal the main plot, it’s still gonna touch you. I promise.

Bob Dylan of South Africa

It’s the early 70’s. Sixto Rodriguez records two albums, showing promise but not achieving commercial success in the USA. Huge success in South Africa, though. He becomes more popular than Elvis or Dylan with every radio station plays his songs and everyone knowing the lyrics. He reaches the top and then he disappears – a total mystery. Nothing. Like a stone thrown into the water. He’s just gone. This naturally triggers tons of gossip and theories, like he killed himself during the concert, died of drug abuse, love, car accident, crime victim… DEAD. No doubt about it. But how?

Moving fast to the late 90’s. Two South African fans decide to unravel this mystery. They sift through bits of information in search of the record company, manager, his real name, family etc… At some point they discover that Rodriguez might actually still be alive. What a shocker!
One of them flies to the USA. By this time, Rodriguez is nearly a 60-year-old construction worker, living in the poor part of Detroit. He doesn’t resemble a rockstar for sure! However, as soon as he starts to talk, you realize he’s much more than that. Yet, he is completely unaware of his decades-long transatlantic fame. He is also not really convinced that he is not being pranked. (I mean, young dude, coming out of nowhere, telling him that he is famous like Elvis on the other side of the Atlantic, wouldn’t you be suspicious?). As the story unfolds we discover that Rodriguez is a philosopher with a university degree, an activist dedicated to addressing working-class problems, and all that while holding down a construction job. He is a valued and important member of his community. He is a person of substance, I’d say.

Money

At this point the news about Rodriguez being alive goes viral in South Africa. Reporters decide to dig deeper into this story and to follow the money too. It makes sense – how come could he be such a huge star in a big country like South Africa, selling millions of records, yet never seeing any profit from it? I’m not gonna tell you who effed him up. You’ll have to see that for yourself. Other questions arise, such as how he didn’t know that he was famous in South Africa, but also how people in South Africa didn’t know that he wasn’t famous anywhere else? Mix in apartheid and censorship, and you’ll get a better picture. All I want to say now is that this is a beautiful, touching story with a happy ending.
Yes, the best part is undoubtedly Rodriguez himself – a caring, loving person of great empathy, not only towards his family, but also those around him. His lyrics center around regular working-class people and carry an anti-establishment sentiment. He tells stories through his songs. Not solely about drugs, like Dylan 😉 (Ok, this is my private vendetta here). Dylan (and Kurt Cobain) was a big letdown to me when I discovered that most of their songs were actually about finding drugs, taking drugs, being high or not being able to get high. I get it, people want to have some fun, but that’s just disappointing, especially if you are young (it was a long time ago!) person in search of the meaning of life. (bahahaha, I just heard myself saying that!). I knooooow, I am exaggerating, anyways…  Rodriguez’s Sugarman is not entirely unrelated to drugs either, but most of his songs are 😀. BTW speaking of Dylan, I wonder if the Nobel Prize committee knew about hidden meanings in his lyrics when they decided to award him. I bet he did, though, as he didn’t go to Sweden to collect it. 🤣 That’s not exactly on the same level of commitment as, let’s say… Malala, right?

Martinique 2020

But let’s leave Dylan alone. He’s done plenty for world music. Let’s move to 2020 – the time of COVID. We were stuck at anchor in Sainte Anne, Martinique. We had just watched the documentary, and Rodriguez’s playlist was on all day long. The authorities had just put the pandemic “on hold”. Parties were still out of the question, but only official ones. We, the cruisers, had fun hiding in the bush every Thursday having barbies, which means barbeque, potluck, booze, games and dancing. Of course, we practiced so-called “social distancing”. Everyone was thrilled to see other human faces after all those lockdowns. We sat for hours in the shallow water, drinking booze and talking! This is how I got my piece of Rodriguez – first-hand memories from our South African friends. The name Rodriguez immediately put a smile on their faces! It triggered many memories. I just love how Rodriguez entered my life not only from the screen of my computer but also through people I know!
But why am I even telling you this? Well… Rodriguez passed away last week, at the age of 81, fulfilled, appreciated, and complete. It’s a good story and I’d love to see more people enjoying his music and remembering him, for he was a good one. Rest in peace and thanks, man!

…But thanks for your time
and you can thank me for mine
and after that’s said
forget it…
Sixto Rodriguez
(10.07.1942 – 8.08.2023)

Photo source: Wikipedia, credit B0rder

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