The legendary artist Sixto Rodriguez (whose life story was chronicled in the compelling, Oscar-winning 2012 documentary Searching for Sugar Man) will be returning to Santa Barbara for a performance Tuesday, August 21, at The Granada Theatre. Rodriguez's intriguing musical trajectory began with the musician being virtually unknown in the States for more than 40 years — after his two early ’70s avant-garde albums Cold Fact and Coming from Reality failed to chart. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to him, his records had found their way to South Africa, where his songs helped inspire anti-apartheid activists and he was considered a superstar.
Since the documentary's release, Rodriguez has belatedly been hailed globally as a major talent and played in more than 17 countries and at both the Glastonbury and Coachella festivals. Describing himself as "musical-political,” Rodriguez pens lyrics that often address the injustices faced by the inner-city poor, and, as an activist, he has run for public office several times in Detroit. Rodriguez was awarded a doctor of humane letters in 2013 from his alma mater, Wayne State University, in addition to the bachelor’s in philosophy he earned there in 1981.
I recently spoke over the phone with Rodriguez, who was in good spirits, chilling in his Detroit home with band members and a few friends, including the counterculture icon John Sinclair.