AMERICAN folk singer Sixto Diaz Rodriguez released two albums in the early 1970s, but in the face of commercial and critical indifference, was dumped by his record label.

In the years since, rumours have swirled that he committed suicide on stage, either by shooting himself, or setting himself on fire.

Unknown to him, his protest songs became anthems of South Africa’s anti-Apartheid movement, causing the spooked government to literally scratch the offending tracks from his LPs.

This engrossing documentary charts the efforts of fans, a record shop owner and a journalist to discover the fate of the artist dubbed Sugar Man.

Saying what happens next would spoil the film’s gobsmacking final half, and this is one of those movies best approached with as little knowledge of the subject matter as possible.

By Dailyrecord.co.uk

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