Searching for Sugar Man

In the early 1970's an artist named Rodriguez recorded two albums "Cold Truth" & "Coming From Reality".  His songs, which sound a little like a cross between Bob Dylan and "What's Going On" era Marvin Gaye, were well-received critically but the albums did not sell.  Dropped by his record label he drifted into obscurity until, despairing, he committed suicide. 

Thanks for your time 
Then you can thank me for mine 
And after that's said
Forget it.

And that's the end of the story, right?  Well, no.  Because (the story goes) an American girl went to South Africa on holiday with a copy of "Cold Truth".  Her boyfriend made a copy and his friends and their friends made copies of the copies.  In the 1970's and 80's under the apartheid era, Rodriguez became a singular voice of resistance at the time when the media was strictly controlled and the regime would silence anti-establishment sentiment with prison.  Rodriguez was a South African sensation.  "Cold Truth" played at every party and everyone knew all the words to all the tracks.

Cut off from the outside world by censorship and the cultural boycott, the South Africans assumed that Rodriguez had been as big as Elvis in the USA.  And the rumours about how he died became ever more bizarre.  He took an overdose.  He shot himself.  He set himself on fire onstage.  When apartheid eventually fell, his South African fans, driven by decades of curiosity, made it a mission to find out about their hero - what drove him to write those songs?  Why didn't he make it in his homeland?  How did he die?  

"Searching for Sugar Man" is a memorable music documentary, punctuated by Rodriguez's songs which really are terrific.  And while the story of a man who became a superstar without knowing it is rather tragic, it's also very uplifting.  Seeing the South Africans finally getting to openly celebrate his music is extremely touching, and when a South African protest band he inspired take to the stage in front of thousands of fans, it's hard not to get caught up in it all.

Thoroughly recommended, you'll be on Amazon minutes after it has ended, ordering the downloads of those two lost albums.

Sugar man, won't you hurry
'Cos I'm tired of these scenes
For the blue coin won't you bring back
All those colors to my dreams

p.s.  Groovy Dude With Beard Who Calls Everyone "Man" In Starbucks told me this won the BAFTA for best documentary last night.  And he knows Groovy.