Searching for Sugar Man (2012)

De vegades, per més que ho intentis, les coses no surten. Jo, per exemple, portava tres setmanes procurant anar al cine a veure “Searching for Sugar Man” sense èxit; ell havia provat sort durant els 70 en el món de la música, i tampoc se n’havia sortit. O això pensava tothom.

La història de Rodríguez comença a finals dels 60 en un bar de Detroit. Un ambient caldejat de fum, un cantautor d’esquenes i uns productors entrant per la porta. Tothom diu que era tan bo com Bob Dylan. Però ningú n’havia sentit a parlar mai. Alguns diuen que es va foradar la templa d’un tret a l’escenari; d’altres asseguren que es va cremar viu per un mal concert. Però el cert és que ni tan sols els rumors interessaven a ningú. 

 Trailer "Searching for Sugar Man"

Als Estats Units la figura de Rodriíguez estava destinada a desaparèixer en l’oblit col·lectiu, tot i el bon record dels qui havien escoltat les seves lletres, que no deixaven impassible a ningú. Però hi havia un lloc al món on les seves cançons serien autèntics himnes. El vinil de Rodríguez havia arribat a Sudàfrica en el context de l’Apartheid salvatge dels 70 de la mà d’una turista americana, i s’havia convertit en l’emblema d’una revolució. Temes com  EstablishmentBlues o I wonder semblaven cantar les vicissituds d’aquells temps cruels i amenaçaven l’estabilitat d’un sistema tan hermètic com el de la Sudàfrica de l’època. Rodríguez era un ídol de masses.

Foren aquests mateixos fans qui, molts anys després, s’embarcaren en una investigació per descobrir la història de Rodríguez, de qui ningú sabia absolutament res. Part d’aquesta recerca és la que Malik Bendjelloul explica en aquest documental que, més enllà d’una grandiosa historia, té un ritme perfecte, una banda sonora d’excepció i unes quantes sorpreses no revelables que el converteixen en un gran film. Es una oda a la bona música i una esperança per als que creuen que les bones històries ja s’han explicat. Queda molta feina per fer, gràcies al déu de la música, en aquest dia de pasqua.

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Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, things do not work out. I, for example, had been trying to go to the cinema to see "Searching for Sugar Man" without success for three weeks; he had tried his best to succeed in the music scene of the 70's but couldn't do it either. Or so everyone thought.

Rodriguez's story begins in the late 60's at a bar in Detroit. Heat up atmosphere, smoke, a songwriter and a two producers coming through the door. Everyone says that was as good as Bob Dylan. But nobody had ever heard of him. Some say he shot himself on stage, others say he was burned alive because of a bad gig. But the truth is that nobody gave a damm.

In the U.S. the figure Rodriíguez was destined to disappear, regardless of the good memories of those who had heard his lyrics, that did not let anyone unmoved. But there was a place on earth where his songs would become anthems. A vinyl of Rodriguez had arrived in South Africa in the context of the savage apartheid of the 70's in the hand of an American tourist, and had become the symbol of a revolution. Songs such as I wonder or Establishment Blues seemed to sing the cruel vicissitudes of the time and threatened the stability of a system as tight as that of South Africa. Rodriguez was an idol.

It was these same fans who, many years later, embarked on an investigation to discover the history of Rodriguez, unknown to everyone. Part of this research is what Bendjelloul Malik explains in this documentary which, beyond a huge story,  has a perfect rhythm, an exceptional soundtrack and some  unexplainable surprises that make it a great film. It is an ode to good music and hope for those who believe that good stories have already been told. Much work remains to be done, thanks to the god of music, in this Easter day.