The builder who's ... bigger .. than Elvls

In 1970s·Detroit, Sixto Rodriguez was just another failed Dylan imitator, but in South Africa he became a superstar. A new document~ tells the strange . story of his rebirth. 'By I(aleem Aftab t's not often that a musician daughter, Eva, saying the singer was comes back from the dead. Inthe alive and well. A sell-out concert tour early 1970s, the Detroit-based of South Africa was hastily arranged guitarist Sixto Rodriguez and the singer, completely oblivious released twoalbums. They didn't to his fame, suddenly tasted success. sell in America and he was qui• "It was a culture shock at first," says etly dropped from his label. Yet Rodriguez, now 70 and looking ever unbeknown to Rodriguez or to inch the veteran singing superstar. his label, his debut album, ColdFact, "The country is beautiful, I really had become a platinum-selling hit in thought it was going to be third world Souih Africa.Outlawed by the authori• and full of disgruntled Rastafari. It ties and only played on pirate radio, his turned out very different." Dylan/Guthrie-esque folk sound was The mystery of the first half, which enthusiastically taken up by the anti• recaps the search, becomes an:essayon apartheid movement, which latched on the rebirth of a musician, a biopic and to songs such as "IWonder" and "Sug• a look at the changing landscapes of arm an", turning them into anthems Cape Town and Detroit. against the regime. "Iwas so eager and nervous to meet When no new songs arrived and this guy because I heard so many con• with Rodriguez apparently having flicting stories; mythological stuff. It disappeared without a trace, the was like he wasn't a real man, not real legend grew in South Africa that the flesh. He became this huge mystery musician had committed suicide on before I met him", Bendje1I6ul adds. stage. Some said that he shot himself "And in a way he keeps this mystery." while others claimed that he set .It doesn't matter, says Rodriguez, if himself on fire, live on stage. Perhaps you know that he ended up on it con• the conflicting reports should have struction site rather than self-immolat• alerted people that something was ing on stage. "AsMalik pointed out at amiss. In reality, the singer was earn• Sundance [where the documentary ing his keep as a builder in Detroit. picked up the coveted audience award] This extraordinary backstory occu• you know that the Titanic is going to pies the first segment ofSearchingfor sink and that doesn't stop people Sugarman. Directed by Malik watching that." Bendjelloul, the new documentary While the documentary questions describes howtwo ofRodriguez's South what happened to the royalties, African fans - record-store owner Rodriguez isplacid about the financial Stephen Segerman and music journal• implications ofhis South African suc• ist Craig Bartholomew- embarked on cess. He still lives in Michigan and the search to learn more about the singer. income from his recent tours has been In 1998,they hit the jackpot when they spread around his family or given to received an email from Rodriguez's ch,!rity. "I don't believethe story that

Shades of greatness: Sixto Rodriguez (left); the singer with Malik Bendjelloul, the director of 'Searching for Sugarman' (above); Rodriguez in the early 1970s (below) ©GALLOIMAGESI ALAMY,MARKDAVISI WIREIMAGE, HAL WILSON/COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

make music a viable career there. Rodriguez also ran for mayor, without success. "I describe myself as a 'mu• sico-politico' and the thing is,I am for change, positive change. Iwasn't very successful at running for office." Rodriguez is at his most lucid and beguiling when talking about music. He enthuses about Dylan and Paul Simon, citing the influence that "IAm a Rock" had on his career. The success . of the film - it has received awards at every festival it has played - and ofhis tours since his "resurrection" has seemingly given him new juice to start . songwriting again. "I do write stuff ""IDESCRIBE MYSELF AS A down. It's easier at the moment," he "MUSICO-POLlTICO' AND says. "It lends you to poetry, all these things that happened." For now, Rodriguez is content to CHANGE,THE THINGPOSISiTIVEI AM CHANGE"FOR support the film as it travels around the world. In London, he's been doing there were roy3J.ties,"he says. "In this secret surprise gigs after screenings business there are a lot ofsuperlatives and has an official UK tour planned used, but it was just something to be for November after the film's US able to play there and that I was able release. Before then, it's back to to take my family with me and share building in Detroit. "Younever throw that with them. There are a lot of away your work Clothes. There is rey..'ards,not just the recognition and always something to do in the the 'oxygen money'; I call money house. In Detroit there are a lot of 'oxygen'. Everyone needs oxygen but houses they are going to demolish that's not my goa1." because no one is tal