Dubai's South African expats still rocking to Rodriguez’s Oscar glory

The Oscars are over and the hype and hoopla has died down.

For most South Africans though, the sweet sound of success is theirs to rock to forever more.

‘Forever’ is what most South Africans you speak to will say the music of Sixto Rodriguez has been around in their lives.

He provided the soundtrack to their youth, at least in the 1970s and 80s, and, as the documentary reveals time and time again, any home in South Africa had at least one Rodriguez album.

This is why there would be no Best Documentary Oscar for ‘Searching for Sugarman’ this year were it not for South Africa.

The documentary is the fairy-tale story of the US singer in the 70s, Sixto Rodriguez.

Unheard of anywhere in the world, but in South Africa, he was as big, if not bigger than Elvis, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones from Cape Town to Jo'burg.

The documentary tracks the efforts of two Cape Town fans in the late 1990s Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman and Craig Bartholomew Strydom as they search for Rodriguez – who they believed was dead.

What makes the story almost unbelievable is the fact that until 1998, with over half a million records sold in South Africa, Sixto Rodriguez did not know of his fame there. And nobody in South Africa knew he was alive.

The documentary is paced like one of Rodriguez’s songs – lyrical and Bob Dylan-esque, ending with South Africa and Rodriguez finding each other and sold out concerts.

Liesel Rademeyer a South African in Dubai, speaking to Emirates 24|7, says: "It was like a cult. If you did not have his CD you were not one of the 'cool kids'. He spoke to a generation," says the 36-year old South African recalling the days when the album came out.

"We would sit next to the fire with a group of friends, listening to his music. We would make up stories about what the songs could mean. We were a sanctioned country those days, and we never really knew much about the artist behind the songs. But we just loved his music,” she adds.

"It is awesome that we actually mean something to somebody. At the same time, he has remained humble. I think this means a lot to us South Africans."

Bonita Carr, a Dubai resident who hails from Cape Town, adds: “This was one of the albums that I owned for many years - the music was the backdrop to my childhood. I am so happy to see this film win as it's not only a story about great music but also a story about one man's impact on a society with very little outside influences. I am so pleased that the film won an Oscar.”

DJ Nelson Moreira, a South African based in Dubai says, “It was not until this documentary came out that I realised this was music exclusive to South Africa," says the 41-year-old.

"There is one specific song that I recall, called 'I wonder'. This used to be a floor killer. I played it all the time in my sessions. His music has a bluesy, Latino attraction. It is incredible!"

Nelson still listens to it in his private time. "It is on my IPod, it gives me memories of my childhood."

Searching for Sugar Man is directed by Malik Bendjelloul. On 10 February 2013, the film won the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary at the 66th British Academy Film Awards in London.

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