For Immediate Release - Monday, July 10, 2017 -- Cult hero Sixto Rodriguez, who came to the attention of the world as the subject of the 2012 Oscar-winning documentary Searching For Sugar Man, celebrates his milestone 75th Birthday today. While Rodriguez's rise to fame is perhaps one of music's most fascinating stories, the enigmatic singer-songwriter has in fact been chasing his musical aspirations since he was 16-years old. His return to music and to stages around the world is a story that continues to unfold, and includes a 2017 North American Tour that will bring him to Canada this summer for performances in Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.
Since the film's debut Rodriguez has toured extensively performing at larger and larger venues in over 17 countries and on some of the world's most illustrious stages such as Radio City Music Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Hammersmith Apollo, Barclay Center in New York, Massey Hall and at both the Glastonbury and Coachella festivals. He has twice sold out the Sydney Opera House and recently performed to over 12,000 fans in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has won the support of fans around the globe including Hollywood royalty Susan Sarandon, Salma Hayek, Alex Baldwin and musical legends guitarist Santana, Donovan and Metallica's Lars Ulrich.
In 2016 Rodriguez released Rodriguez Rocks Live In Australia
a CD recorded during his wildly successful 2014 tour of Australia, the country where he had his first success having mounted tours in 1979 and 1981. The new CD features Rodriguez originals as well as a few cover tunes that the Detroit, Michigan singer-songwriter makes his own. Songs from his now infamous CDs Cold Fact and Coming to Reality have etched themselves in rock 'n' roll history. Brittany Howard from Alabama Shakes, Ruby Amanfu and, another successful Detroit alumnae, Jack White teamed up for a cover of "I Wonder" and the Dave Matthews Band often covered "Sugar Man" during their 2014 summer tour.
All the success and notoriety have not changed Rodriguez. He still lives in the same house in Detroit's lower-middle-class Woodbridge neighbourhood, and continues to focus on making and performing music.
While Rodriguez tours without a regular band - often performing solo -- he maintains about 12 bands around the world, including in South Africa, Australia, Sweden, England and America. His Canadian performances will, for the first time, include a full band accompaniment.
A self-described "musical political", Rodriguez's lyrics take a political stance on the cruelties facing the inner-city poor. But he does not just write about injustice; he sought to make a positive change running -- not once but twice -- for mayor of his hometown of Detroit. In 2013, Rodriguez was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters from his alma mater to add to the Bachelor of Philosophy he earned from Wayne State University in 1981.
Rodriguez's resonance and impact were captured in the award-winning documentary Searching For Sugar Man, directed by Malik Bendjelloul. The documentary begins with the 1970 release of Rodriguez's debut album, Cold Fact. The album, with its politically charged topical lyrics and avant-garde arrangements made its way around the world to South Africa, where it was banned by a repressive government. Copies were bootlegged and circulated, and unbeknownst to Rodriguez, his music became a source of hope and inspiration to the anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa and hugely successful in Australia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. The documentary chronicles the successful efforts of a group of loyal South African fans who, almost 30 years later, attempted to make contact with the fabled folk musician. Searching For Sugar Man went on to win a string of awards for the dedicated first-time director including an Academy Award™ and BAFTA for Best Documentary.
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Sixto Rodriguez
Canadian Tour 2017
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08/03
08/05
08/09
08/11
08/13
09/15
09/19
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Vancouver, BC
Edmonton, AB
Saskatoon, SK
Winnipeg, MB
Toronto, ON
Montreal, QC
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Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Orpheum
Winspear Centre
TCU Place
Centennial Concert Hall
Massey Hall
Metropolis
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-30 -
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Victoria Lord | VLPR Inc.
Office:
416-484-9047
Email:
victoria@vlpr.com
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