Sixto Rodriguez may have weakening eyesight these days, but his voice and spirit are as distinctive and resonant as ever.
The 72-year-old folk singer from Detroit had a short-lived career in the early 70s, with two albums that never quite struck a chord with the mass market but, thanks to his phenomenal success in South Africa (outselling Elvis, unbeknown to him), he enjoyed a renaissance in the 1990s, when fans tracked him down (he was rumoured to be dead) and kick-started his career.
This incredible story was told in the Oscar-winning documentary, Searching For Sugar Man (named after one of his most famous songs) – worth two hours of anyone’s time.
In the film, his first ever concerts in 1990s South Africa are akin to cult religious gatherings, his arrival met with hysteria, reverance, ovation.
As he shuffled on stage in Birmingham and led to his guitar, the reception was not dissimilar; a standing ovation and whoops of delight.
While some song choices could be questioned – his covers of Unchained Melody and Sinatra’s Nice ‘n’ Easy were shaky and rough around the edges – it was his own compositions such as Sugar Man, I Wonder and Street Boy which everyone had come to hear – and he didn’t disappoint, with captivating renditions.
Rodriguez may have spent many years in obscurity in his own country, but he’s now enjoying some deserved overdue success in the spotlight, across the globe.
No-one – especially anyone seeing what it meant to the fans at Symphony Hall this week – could deny him that.
