The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/163881
But in that decade, by which time Bob Dylan had long-since attained international fame through his numerous albums and sold-out concerts, Sixto (sometimes Jesús) Rodriguez, a modest and private man, was known primarily only locally, performing in small clubs in front of small audiences. He recorded two studio albums, but those quickly disappeared from record shelves. Despite his best efforts, his career was going nowhere. Late in the decade, the story circulated that the frustrated and depressed Rodriguez, forced to earn meager pay as a day laborer when not performing, had committed a horrendously graphic suicide in front of a small audience after the last song of a club set. Rodriguez might never have been heard of again, but that all changed thanks to tireless detective work in the '90s by two diehard fans in Cape Town, South Africa, desperate to know more about their hero, and to this 2012 Swedish-British produced, Oscar-winning documentary SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN. Based on what they discovered, Rodriguez is finally receiving the recognition he so desperately sought four decades ago. And there's something else that has dramatically increased the singer's popularity: At 71, he's been doing huge live concerts in South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere. WAIT … WHAT?!?! Did I say live performances? What about his suicide? You'll have to see the documentary to learn whether Rodriguez's death, like Twain's and McCartney's, was exaggerated greatly. But here's a fact to whet your appetite: Although his career had stalled in the States, his albums, along with varied accounts of his suicide, somehow made their way to South Africa and circulated among white Afrikaans musicians, which led to a mystique about an artist of whom they knew almost nothing. In the '70s, when Apartheid was tearing the country apart, Rodriguez's painfully astute songs about love, life and survival on the mean streets of Detroit were anthems of truth and hope to the repressed, music-starved young men and women in South Africa who could obtain the singer's government-censored albums only through serial bootlegging. Rodriguez became wildly popular in South Africa — more popular than Dylan, Elvis or any other singer — but amazingly, he, along with everyone else in the States, knew nothing about it! The tale of this unsung singer, perfect fodder for the documentary, is so hard to believe that some people don't. But I'm betting that when you see this amazing film, you — like me — will believe it and will become an instant Rodriguez fan. You will also understand why we picked it to tie in with this issue's theme, "Communications Technologies: Power to the People." If Rodriguez had been able to tap into the power of desktop computer recording and editing and social media like Twitter and YouTube — technology that can make anyone famous virtually overnight — there's no telling how fast and far his career could have gone. Not because of the technology itself, but because it would have empowered him to show the world how uniquely talented he was. For as radio personality and Rodriguez friend Rich Emerson describes him: SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN TRIVIA (Courtesy of IMDb and Wikipedia) • The soundtrack features tracks from Rodriguez's two released albums, "Cold Fact" and "Coming from Reality," plus a previously unreleased single from his third album, which was finally released in 2012. To alleviate possible concerns raised in the film about how Rodriguez was apparently cheated by his previous record label, the back cover bears the statement, "Rodriguez receives royalties from the sale of this release." • Some scenes were shot on a $1.99 iPhone App called 8mm Vintage Camera after the producers ran out of film for their 8mm camera. • During the credits, there's a spelling error which reads "Mabu Vinly" instead of "Mabu Vinyl." • On May 9, 2013, Rodriguez received an honorary doctorate, a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, from his alma mater, Wayne State University (WSU) in Detroit, Michigan. • On February 24, 2013, SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The evermodest Rodriguez declined to attend the award ceremony, saying he did not want to overshadow the filmmakers' achievement. Andy Spiegel is a creative director and freelance writer. A lifelong movie "He had this kind of magical quality that all the genuine poets and artists have: to elevate things; to get above the mundane. I think he's representative of the human spirit, of what's possible." lover, he maintains a movie review blog called Andy's Private Screening Room at jasscreeningroom.blogspot.com. Andy can be contacted at jandy1943@gmail.com. Peer to Peer 93