Forum    Search    FAQ

Board index » Chat Forums » General Chat




Post new topic  Reply to topic  [ 3 posts ] 
 
Author Message
 Post subject: Sugarman and Makeba
 Post Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 1:16 pm 
User avatar
Offline
Joined: Mon Sep 23, 2002 12:00 am
Posts: 2699
Website: http://kitoba.com
Location: Televising the revolution
Just recently saw the award winning documentary "Searching for Sugarman" the stranger-than-fiction story of a early 70's folk musician who quickly faded into complete obscurity in America while --unknown to him --he had become a huge star ("way bigger than the Rolling Stones!") in South Africa.

I know that CCC and maybe some others here are South African and I was wondering if they had seen the movie or heard of the singer. At least as far as the movie indicated it seems like he's still considered a titan of music in South Africa to this day.

On a separate-but-related note, I also recently saw a documentary about one of my all-time favorite musicians, the late great Miriam Makeba, who first introduced African music to the world. I had mentioned her to a young (white) South African I was working with and got back only a puzzled look. Maybe she's more famous outside the country than in it --she was exiled for most of her life.

Top 
   
 Post subject: Re: Sugarman and Makeba
 Post Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 12:27 am 
User avatar
Offline
Joined: Wed May 15, 2002 12:00 am
Posts: 11381
Well, first of all I should point out that I'm pretty much functionally illiterate in popular music. If you pick some random South African, ask them for the name of a popular band, then the odds are I wouldn't have heard of them and I certainly wouldn't be able to name a song the band's done. It's not that I don't like music - it's just that the music I like and the music that is popular are almost entirely uncorrelated. (That, and I often don't bother to find out what band did what piece of music).

Having said that, I have actually heard of both of the musicians you refer to above.

Rodriguez (the man behind Sugarman) I've heard of because I read an article about his unlikely history in a book I won in a radio contest. I haven't seen the documentary (though I understand the article summarises it), but I know people who have; and everyone I mentioned the article to had heard of the singer, so he must be fairly popular. I have no idea what sort of songs he actually wrote.

Makeba is a name that I've heard of just about enough to associate it with the click song (I don't know what it's official title is, I don't know the words, but I'd recognise it if I heard it). I'm not sure where I heard of her; it's an association sort of sitting in the back of my head somewhere. (If it's due to her popularity, she must be really popular).

Top 
   
 Post subject: Re: Sugarman and Makeba
 Post Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 1:49 pm 
User avatar
Offline
Joined: Mon Sep 23, 2002 12:00 am
Posts: 2699
Website: http://kitoba.com
Location: Televising the revolution
Rodriguez' music is early 70's folk rock with echoes of Dylan. Apparently his music was really seminal in South African in the white underground counterculture and anti-apartheid movements. His blunt, direct lyrics and social consciousness were probably a lot more shocking in South Africa than at home.

Makeba was almost certainly the first African artist to make any significant splash outside the continent. She's a titan of world music, probably one of the most important figures in the history of global music (the genre).

Top 
   
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
 
Post new topic  Reply to topic  [ 3 posts ] 

Board index » Chat Forums » General Chat


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

 
 

 
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: