Thanks Sugar Man.

“Don’t sit and wait. Don’t sit and dream. Put on a smile. Go find a scene.”

Sixto Rodriguez

This is a small personal tribute to somebody who changed how I look at the world. I don’t understand how he did it. But that’s magic for you. I am just glad he did.

Durban is kind of like the third city in South Africa. I think every country has that city. Humid and happy. The small bands would play there. But, the big ones wouldn’t. The kind of city where you cannot be a celebrity and if you are an influencer you are definitely a micro influencer. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great place to grow up. But, boy, it felt a long way from anywhere. Actually, I wasn’t sure anywhere even existed. I loved the place but I had a feeling that it gave me small dreams. Dreams that didn’t get you beyond the end of your street. We used to ride our bikes on our street. We used to play cricket on our street. We used to do nothing on our street. The world ended at the end of our street.

Then one day the slightly older, definitely cooler neighbours were working on their car. A song started to play on their sound system. Decades later the moment is still perfectly clear in my mind. Sugar Man started to play. Instantly, I understood. There was a whole fucking world out there. And I would have to go and find it.

I asked the singers name. The neighbour in rugby shorts tells me the singers name is Rodriguez. His friend in rugby shorts tells me he is dead. He tells me Rodriguez had set himself on fire. They nod knowingly. So, I nod. But, I don’t know why I am nodding.

About 15 years later, I was in a small club called the Blues Room in Johannesburg. My girlfriend’s dad worked in the music industry. He told us to come down to watch an act. But, he didn’t tell us who it was. Now, everybody in South Africa really did think Rodriguez was dead. The other rumour was he had shot himself on stage. So, we are sitting there and this man walks on stage. Very unassuming. Very quiet. He starts singing. A few of us think, wow, what a great impersonator. But, it is not an impersonator. Slowly, it dawns on us. It’s really fucking him. It’s fucking him. It was like seeing Elvis a year after his death. It was insane. Maybe 60 of us watching in total disbelief. It would turn out that this was a warm up gig before the big one you see in the documentary ‘Searching For Sugar Man’. If you haven’t seen it, please watch it. It is a fantastic documentary and this blog will make a lot more sense.

In your life, there are a couple of moments that give you a magical, inspirational shit eating grin you can’t wipe off your face. That night was one of them. Art, and especially music, has the ability to make you feel everything is possible and you are in exactly the right place in the universe. That is about as good as it gets.

If I am honest, I am not sure why I have written this. Maybe, it’s just that I wanted to share something special. Maybe, everything doesn’t have to make sense. Or, I just am grateful that Rodriguez got me to realise the world didn’t end at the end of my street. I guess, I just wanted to say thanks Sugar Man. I don’t know what you did for me.

But, you did a lot.