Searching for Sugar Man, which recently won the 2012 Oscar for Best Documentary, is one of those films where the less you know about it, the more you will enjoy the film. I was one of those who was unfamiliar with musician Rodriguez and watched the film Searching for Sugar Man based only on a general sense about the content of the film. So during the movie, I was engrossed in the story and felt like I was discovering a long-lost epic tale of a legendary musician.
Searching for Sugar Man is about the search for Sixto Rodriguez, a singer-songwriter who released two albums in the early 1970s and then disappeared into obscurity after his music failed to find an audience, even though many talented producers and others thought Rodriguez was even better than Bob Dylan. The story might have ended there, but his music did find an audience in South Africa, where many people, suffering during the apartheid years, found a special connection with Rodriguez’s music. There are various theories about how his albums ended up in South Africa, but the one thing for certain is that many South Africans put him on a level with other famous international artists like The Rolling Stones.
Searching for Sugar Man begins with the legend of Rodriguez and his disappearance, and then it follows several fans in South Africa who search to find out what happened to Rodriguez. Using old photos and new interviews, the film explores the power of music and myth. To reveal any more about the movie would ruin your enjoyment of the film. The trailer even reveals too much, so here are a couple of songs by Rodriguez to whet your appetite. Now go watch the film. (But if you must watch the trailer, it is here.)
“I Wonder”
“Cause”
Perhaps Chimesfreedom will revisit Rodriguez’s music more in the future, but for now watch the movie first so you can enjoy the mystery and the discoveries in the film.
What did you think of Searching for Sugar Man? Leave your two cents in the comments.
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