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The Forum, 30th March 1998

Sugar's post-tour message

So, Rodriguez's tour of South Africa is over. Less than a year ago the possibility of this happening was so unthinkable that there were actually people in SA who didn't go to the shows believing it was a hype! The tour was a wonderful success from every aspect and the Cult of Rodriguez keeps growing. The word has gone around the world about this event and requests for tours have been received from Toronto, Augusta, Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

We are also honoured to have a message on this web-board from Rodriguez himself who, I believe, is getting cyberactive to monitor his two websites. In the March 26th edition of USA Today, the global US newspaper, there is an article by Ellis Cose who is a contributing editor for Newsweek magazine. It is an article titled "Singer embodies So. Africa's hopes" and is, to my knowledge, the first article about Rodriguez to appear in any American publication. There is talk of a video documentary that was shot during the tour, the possibility of a release of a live CD from the tour and the added possibilty of a new album by Rodriguez. Please watch this space for further news.

I was also one of a number of people who were interviewed for an article to appear in the Wall Street Journal during the next few days, also about Rodriguez and his SA tour. Seems America is waking up to the existence of this unknown star in their midst. About time too! I guess we have to thank the American pres. Bill Clinton for this as due to his visit here, there were a number of journalists hanging around SA and while they were here, the whole Rodriguez tour phenomenon happened and caught their attention. I firmly believe that we are seeing the beginning of Rodriguez's world-wide revival.

It is a fact that George Bernard Shaw's plays were only produced for the first time when he was 94 years old. Rodriguez is far younger than that and is in great shape both physically and mentally. The timelessness of his songs and music, as evidenced by the SA concerts and the number of messages on this web-board, is a clear indication that the new Rodriguez era has just begun. Couldn't happen to a cooler person. We South Africans thank Rodriguez for his time, his music, his grace, friendship and generosity and most of all... for bringing back all those colours to our dreams!!