The world of music has lost one of the greats this week with the news of the passing of legendary American folk artist Sixto Rodriguez at the age of 81.

Born in Detroit, Michigan to a working class Mexican family, Rodriguez released two albums in his late twenties, Cold Fact in 1970 and Coming from Reality in 1971. While both had limited success in the major market of the US and he was subsequently dropped by his label and left his music career a few years later, his music increasingly gained airplay and a cult following in Australia, New Zealand and particularly in South Africa, where the anti-establishment tone of his music had a particular resonance for many during the apartheid era.

The dawning of the internet age and fan-run pages through the 90s eventually lead to him connecting with promoters and touring to a rock star reception across many of these places and beyond, and the release of the 2012 documentary Searching for Sugarman further drove the later life renaissance for his music, including in his home country.