Big Concerts announced that the legendary Rodriguez will return to South Africa this summer for live shows in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
The Mexican-American singer-songwriter known simply as, “Rodriguez” had been working on his music career in Detroit since the early 1960s. He recorded an album in 1969 that many believed was going to secure his reputation as one of the greatest recording artists of his generation. Instead, Rodriguez seemingly disappeared into obscurity, even being subject to rumours that he had committed suicide by setting himself on fire on stage and other imaginative tales. His album took on a life of its own when a bootleg recording found its way into South Africa.
Banned by the apartheid government, the album became a nationwide phenomenon over the next two decades, and the soundtrack to a resistance movement of liberal African youth. Back in Detroit, living a hard-scrabble life, Rodriguez was totally unaware that he was not just a folk hero but a household name thousands of miles away.
Eventually, two South African fans then set out to find out what really happened to their hero, and their investigation led them to a story more extraordinary than any of the many myths they’d heard. Their story forms the basis of the recently released documentary, Searching For Sugarman which was a big hit at this year’s Sundance Film Festival where it won the world documentary audience award and a special jury award, and it received fantastic reviews at this year’s SXSW, Tribeca film festival, Sydney film festival and several others around the world. He has since appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman and Rodriguez was recently featured on the television program, 60 minutes. Tickets are on sale at Computicket.
Tour Itinerary
Johannesburg – presented by Talk Radio 702 and M-Net
February 15, 16, 18
Big Top Arena, Carnival City
Tickets from R225 – R520
Cape Town – presented by 567 Cape Talk and M-Net
February 20, 21
Grand Arena, GrandWest
Tickets from R310 – R520
