The 2012 documentary film is a must-see for South African Rodriguez fans who might have missed it the first time around.
The movie about a South African cultural phenomenon was written and directed by Malik Bendjelloul and details the efforts of two ardent Cape Town fans in the late 1990s, Stephen "Sugar" Segerman and Craig Bartholomew Strydom, to find out whether the rumored death of American musician Sixto Rodriguez was true or not.
And if he was still alive, they wanted to know what had happened to him. His music had been hugely popular in South Africa but relatively little was known about him in his home country.
Decades after the commercial failure of his albums, Rodriguez withdrew from the music industry, but all that was to change when these two determined fans managed to track him down.
Thus it was that 40 years after receiving legendary status in South Africa, Gqeberha fans got to see him performing in the city at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on the 3rd of February 2016.
Watch the trailer right here.
Thus it was that 40 years after receiving legendary status in South Africa, Gqeberha fans got to see him performing in the city at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on the 3rd of February 2016.
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Times gave the film a praiseworthy four-star review, writing "I hope you're able to see this film...and yes, it exists because we need for it to."
In addition to the 2013 Oscar award, on 10 February, the film also won the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary at the 66th British Academy Film Awards in London.
Rodriguez continues to tour the United States and Canada and most recently the process of his rediscovery was the subject of a 2022 episode of Outlook on the BBC World Service.
He has three daughters: Eva, Sandra, and Regan, and is separated from his second wife, Konny Koskos. His family is involved in his career and he often takes them along on the road.
