The singer-songwriter from the United States of Mexican origin Sixto Díaz Rodríguez, known as Rodríguez, died on Tuesday at the age of 81 of unknown causes, according to his website.
His is one of those stories within pop-rock worthy of being remembered: despite releasing two records in the early seventies of remarkable quality (especially the first, C old fact , and Coming from reality ), he barely had repercussion and was quickly forgotten… In the West.
But years later, the coincidence meant that the two discs were widely spread in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Zimbabwe and, especially, in South Africa, where he achieved a late but very outstanding success, especially for some of his lyrics , which referred to Apartheid. A success that, in the case of African countries, not even Rodríguez himself knew at the beginning. The singer-songwriter from the United States had retired from music at the end of the seventies. World fame was yet to come. But it came. The Swedish director Malik Bendjelloul collected his particular story in the acclaimed documentary Searching for Sugar Man from 2012. The film focuses on the struggle of two South Africans to know the story of that enigmatic singer who so much success he had had in his country, but that no one knew exactly what he was doing or even if he was alive. Until they find Rodríguez himself and give him the news, which allowed him, 25 years later, to recover a success that the past had taken from him. So it was that in the late nineties the singer-songwriter dusted off the old guitars and did some tours in South Africa, where he realized he was considered a legend.
The tenderness of the story of the lost singer-songwriter reached the general public and also the critics, and Bendjelloul’s documentary even won the Oscar in the category of best documentary feature. The story of the report has, however, a tragic ending: the Swedish director committed suicide just two years later.
Thanks to the reissue of the two albums in 2009 and the multi-award-winning film, Rodríguez experienced a second – or perhaps third – youth and resumed international tours (he performed at the Poble Espanyol in Barcelona in 2013), although his age it did not allow him to enjoy his rebirth for long. The theme Sugar Man, which was the most successful in South Africa and gave its name to the documentary, was undoubtedly the most important success, but others such as Crucify your mind, I wonder and Hate street dialogue also stand out in the his sadly meager discography.
The keys to his late success also have to do with his direct and sober style, with a clear voice and basic accompanying instrumentation, very much in the fashion of singer-songwriters of the time, such as Cat Stevens himself. And especially, the lyrics, which paid tribute to the most disadvantaged in society in the big cities and took their native Detroit as a reference.
The son of Mexican immigrants, he himself had experienced a difficult life, a situation that, at different stages, was complicated by failure in music. Despite this, he was able to enjoy an old age full of recognition, and has ended up symbolizing many artists who, suffocated by the market, will never have been able to succeed, despite their great quality.
