Finding Sugar Man

Last month, I wrote about a tip passed my way from our lawyer regarding the singer/songwriter Sixto Rodriguez and a documentary about his strange story entitled Searching for Sugar Man. On Saturday, my wife Alison and I finally managed to get out to the see it. (She was quick to point out that this was our first dinner and a movie couple night in many, many years. Whatever credit I should have received for the date seemed to be negated by the frequency! But I digress …)

It is a fabulous movie that we recommend to anyone. It is hard to imagine writing this story as a fiction because no one would judge it sufficiently believable. And neither of us thinks the story, which takes place mainly from the 70s to the late 90s, would even be possible today in the age of the internet.

While the story is captivating, I found myself mesmerized by Rodriguez himself – his personality, his values and how he interacted with society. Despite our watching his story for an hour and a half, he remains mysterious. It raises questions about those we meet during our lifetimes who seem to transcend traditional paths and roles. While it would be hyperbolic to consider him a prophet, it does make you think about those special individuals whose words, actions and auras affect far more than could be imagined.

Here again are links to a couple of his songs ...

Sugar Man

I Wonder