One legend, many myths

Many of his songs reflect on the alienation of the inner-city poor

Rodriguez was bigger than The Beatles in 1970s apartheid South Africa.

Rodriguez was bigger than The Beatles in 1970s apartheid South Africa. In this special tribute to the Mexican-American singer-songwriter who died recently, the Mail & Guardian explores the politics, mores and sounds that made him massive then, and also what makes him still relevant today.

It was in the smoky bars of Detroit, where the downside of industrialisation burdened the air, that Rodriguez had started to tell stories

The story of Rodriguez, the greatest protest singer and songwriter that most people never heard of, is a real-life fairytale with a Hollywood finale.

For me, Rodriguez was right up there with rugby and Die Stem, writes reader Anton Kannemeyer.

Rodriguez’s magical transformation into a hero around the world has proved old South African hippies right — for once.

Big Concerts has announced that Mexican-American singer-songwriter Rodriguez will perform in South Africa in February.

This mockumentary about Rodriguez is an interesting footnote to a denied cultural history: the history of South Africa’s white liberal class.