SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN

 

Searching For Sugar Man is a documentary about the search for a folk singer from the early-seventies known only as Rodriguez. Rodriguez released a couple of albums during this time Cold Fact and Coming From Reality, respectfully. After both albums sold poorly in this country (even though both albums were highly-praised and some even claimed he was "better" than Bob Dylan), Rodriguez was unceremoniously dropped from his record label (who would later rip him off from future royalties, as demonstrated in the film). However, in later years, his popularity would surpass that even of Elvis Presley in South Africa. In fact, Rodriguez's music was said to have help "influence" the anti-apartheid movement in that country as his music was political in nature and often spoke of the injustices and inequalities facing the poor and the downtrodden in songs such as Sugar Man and The Establishment Blues. As a result, his albums sold extensively in South Africa throughout the years since their initial release in the U.S. Rodriquez--who was long thought to have committed suicide onstage after having a bad show--was eventually found by rabid South African fans living in Detroit and working manual labor jobs such as construction and demolition. He was invited to perform there in the late-nineties where he performed a number of sold-out shows. However, according to the documentary, Rodriguez continued to work menial jobs in spite of his newfound fame, although he has toured since the release of the documentary and has found newfound fame in the U.S. that has long eluded him and has even performed on TV talk shows such as David Letterman's and Jay Leno's. One complaint some critics had with the film was the omission that Rodriguez gained similar fame in later years in Australia and even toured there in the late-seventies. These critics accused this of being "myth-making," although, in all fairness, the documentary's focus was on Rodriguez's fame and/or influence in South Africa (although it probably still would've been a good idea to at least make mention of his "fame" in Australia at least to avoid this type of criticism). Anyway, I think the film also says a lot about how, for lack of a better word, unfair it is that someone of apparent--and humble, as is clearly shown in the film--talent like a Rodriguez is virtually ignored in this country while others with no discernible "talent" whatsoever, such as Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian (who both have released--again, for lack of a better word--musical albums of their own), are rewarded with what some--or most--have viewed as undeserved riches and fame by anyone's wildest imaginations. Now if THAT doesn't show how effed-up this country is I don't know WHAT does! A sidenote: I can kind of relate to Rodriguez in that I've tried to become a "successful" author for years, and, though I've achieved some minuscule amount of "success" in the publishing world (by mostly publishing "erotic" books ala 50 Shades Of Grey with a couple of Internet companies under a pen name), "mainstream" success has thus far eluded me similar to how the same "success" obviously eluded Rodriguez for years, especially in THIS country. Of course, there are no doubt tons of other "artists" out there in the same boat. Oh well! At least, as this documentary shows, we're all in VERY good company!