Rodriguez Lands Three Albums in the Top 30 on Australia’s ARIA Albums Chart

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

They’re really searching for Sixto Rodriguez in the Land Down Under…

The 72-year-old Mexican American folk musician, who returned to the spotlight after being the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man, has landed three albums in the top 30 of this week’s Australian sales chart.

Rodriguez’s chart surge has been fuelled by the announcement of his upcoming national tour and the recent free-to-air television broadcast of his award-winning documentary.

The first Rodriguez album Cold Fact (Inertia) from 1969 is currently at No. 11, outpacing its previous chart peak of No. 23. Also on this week’s ARIA Albums chart, the Searching for Sugar Man (Legacy/Sony) soundtrack is at No. 22 and his second and final studio set Coming From Reality from 1971 (Light in the Attic/Inertia) is at No. 25. The chart is led this week by Ariana Grande’s My Everything.

Searching For Sugar Man tells the story of how the protest singer from Detroit was all but forgotten in his homeland, but an unlikely legend in South Africa, where his political and personal themes resonated with the blossoming anti-apartheid movement (he cut two albums of soulful folk rock for Sussex, label home to Bill Withers). The film tracks the search for Rodriguez, a journey undertaken by a few fans and journalists in South Africa who cherished his music. It won the Oscar in 2013 for best documentary, and Rodriguez is now enjoying the international attention that eluded him in his prime.

The film aired August 24 on the SBS channel as a warm-up for Rodriguez’ Australian tour. He’ll visit Australia to play Brisbane (Convention Centre, Oct. 19), Sydney (Sydney Opera House, Oct. 21 and 23), Melbourne (Palais Theatre, Oct. 25 and 26), Adelaide (AEC Theatre, Oct. 29) and Perth (Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Nov. 7).

The singer-songwriter’s cult status has been assured in Australia since the mid-1970s, when his music gained airplay on Sydney AM radio station 2JJ (the precursor to Triple J) and he toured here finding limited success. He first performed Down Under in 1979, returning in 1981 when Midnight Oil joined him for some shows. He was last in Australia for 2013’s Bluesfest.

Almodóvar’s “I’m So Excited” to Premiere in North America at the Los Angeles Film Festival

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Almodóvar’s latest film will be taking flight in Los Angeles this June…

The 63-year-old Spanish filmmaker’s “light, very light comedy” I’m So Excited, which will open in New York and LA in late June, will have it’s North American premiere on opening night of the 19th annual Los Angeles Film Festival on June 13.

The film’s debut will come nearly two weeks before the Spanish-language comedy’s U.S. platform release on June 28 via Sony Pictures Classics.

I’m So Excited opened in Spain on March 8 and is currently opening throughout Europe.

Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas are among the ensemble cast of the comedy, which is set on an airplane flight where nothing seems to be going right.

The film festival, produced by Film Independent, teamed with Sony Pictures Classics last year to premiere the Oscar-winning documentary Searching For Sugar Man.

The LAFF will run through June 23 and spotlight more than 200 feature films, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries.

Rodriguez to Perform in Three Latin American Countries in April

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Sixto Rodriguez, the Searching for Sugar Man subject, isn’t the only over-60 musician with the last name Rodriguez still going strong.

Silvio Rodriguez, the noted Cuban singer-songwriter, will be touring Costa Rica, Bolivia and Peru in April.

The 66-year-old musician, known as one of the leaders of the nueva trova movement, will give a single concert in each of the three countries.

Rodriguez will be backed by flutist and clarinet player Niurka Gonzalez and drummer Oliver Valdes.

His first performance will be on April 12 at the Ricardo Saprissa Stadium in San Jose, Costa Rica.

On April 15, Rodriguez has a concert scheduled at City Park in Santa Cruz, Bolivia; and he will close the tour with a show at Monumental Stadium in Lima on April 19.

In his nearly 50-year artistic career, Rodriguez has composed hundreds of songs and music for films, and has released more than 20 albums.

The composer of “Ojala,” “Unicornio” and “Playa Giron” made appearances in other Latin American countries last year, including Uruguay and Chile.

“Life of Pi” Cinematographer Miranda Wins BAFTA Award…

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Claudio Miranda may have to look for another place to display his growing stash of awards…

The Chilean cinematographer, a favorite to win at this year’s Oscars, won the Best Cinematography gong at Sunday night’s BAFTA Awards, sponsored by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Miranda, who wasn’t present to pick up his award at London’s Royal Opera House, claimed the award for his work on Ang Lee’s Life of Pi.

It’s Miranda’s latest win this awards season, following his Critics’ Choice Award and New York Film Critics Online, among others.

Meanwhile, Malik Bendjelloul’s Searching for Sugar Man, the critically acclaimed documentary about Mexican American musician Sixto Rodriguez, won the BAFTA Award.

Earlier this month, Searching for Sugar Man picked up the DGA Award from the Directors Guild of America.

Cuesta Wins Producers Guild Award for Showtime’s “Homeland”

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Michael Cuesta has another award to add to his mantle…

The 49-year-old Latino film & television director picked up a Producers Guild Award (PGA Award) on Saturday night in the Television Drama category.

Cuesta earned the award for producing Showtime’s Homeland, along with fellow producers Henry Bromell, Alexander Cary, Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Chip Johannessen, Michael Klick and Meredith Stiehm.

It’s the director’s first PGA Award. Cuesta, was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for directing Homeland’s pilot episode, had previously been nominated for a PGA Award in the Television Producer of the Year Award in Episodic category in 2008 for Showtime’s Dexter.

Meanwhile, Malik Bendjelloul and Simon Chinn’s Searching for Sugar Man, about Mexican-American indie singer Rodriguez, earned the PGA Award in the Documentary category.

3Ball MTY to Perform at Coachella…

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Erick Rincon, Sergio Zavala (Dj Sheeqo Beat) and Alberto Presenda (Dj Otto) have lined up one of the biggest gigs of their lives…

The members of Mexico’s DJ collective 3Ball MTY, winners of the Best New Artist award at last year’s Latin Grammys, have been added to the lineup for the prestigious Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California.

It’ll be 3Ball MTY’s first appearance at the music festival after their banner year in 2012 that included winning nine awards at last year’s Billboard Mexican Music Awards and seeing their album Inténtalo named the breakthrough album of the year by iTunes editors.

Rincon, Zavala and Presenda will perform on Saturday, April 13 and Saturday, April 20.

But 3Ball MTY won’t be the only Latin acts performing at Coachella 2013, which will once again take place over two weekends (April 12-14 and 19-21).

Mexican-American singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez, the star of the Oscar-nominated documentary Searching for Sugar Man, will perform at Coachella, as previously reported. Rodriguez, who dropped out of sight after releasing two extraordinary albums in the early 1970s that didn’t sell well stateside, will perform on Sunday, April 14 and Sunday, April 21.

Rising star DJ Danny Avila will make his Coachella debut. The 17-year-old EDM wunderkind, who recently released the remixes for his smash single “Breaking Your Fall,” will take the stage on Sunday, April 14 and Sunday, April 21.

Mexican alternative rock band Café Tacvba, recipient of iTunes’ Best Album honors last year for El Objeto Antes Llamado Disco, will perform on Saturday, April 13 and Saturday, April 20

For the full Coachella 2013 lineup and information on purchasing three-day passes for either weekend, check out the fest’s official site.

Rodriguez to Perform on the Festival Circuit

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Call it the second coming of Sixto Rodríguez…

The 70-year-old Mexican-American singer/songwriter, the man at the center of Malik Bendjelloul‘s Oscar-nominated documentary Searching for Sugar Man, has lined up festival dates lined up at Coachella, Glastonbury and Primavera in Spain that will follow tours of South Africa and Australia.

The new dates are part of Rodriguez’s astonishing rediscovery after releasing two albums for Clarence Avant‘s Sussex label in the early 1970s that didn’t sell anywhere except in South Africa where his legend grew along with his record sales.

Bendjelloul’s documentary, which will be released on DVD on January 22, chronicles the myths and realities of Rodriguez’s story and his 1998 concerts in South Africa.

“It’s a different level that we’re at now,” Rodriguez said during a recent visit to Los Angeles to perform on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. “I can’t imagine it getting much busier. This is pretty busy. You gotta stay balanced and normalized, pace yourself. At this late date I have a new perspective on things because of the success of the music now.”

The demand for Rodriguez has picked up dramatically in the last year for Rodriguez, who had done a few club performances per year since 2008 when Light in the Attic re-released his two albums, Cold Facts and Coming From Reality. Rodriguez appeared at film festivals like Sundance and SXSW in early 2012 and performed solo at most of his shows. He has been using various bands to back him since moving up to larger clubs and small theaters in the fall.

“We did 13 dates in the UK, all 3,000-seaters, and when we go back it will be Royal Albert Hall,” Rodriguez says.

60 Minutes, which did a piece on Rodriguez prior to the film opening, has contacted him again about possibly chronicling his tour of South Africa in February.

Besides the Oscar nomination, Searching for Sugar Man is up for BAFTA, Producers Guild and WGA awards. It won the International Documentary Association‘s best feature and best music awards and the National Board of Review named it the best documentary of the season.

“Searching for Sugar Man” Receives DGA Award Nomination

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Searching for Sugar Man continues to rock up the award nominations…

Malik Bendjelloul’s film about 70-year-old Mexican American singer Rodriguez has received a DGA Award nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentaries by the Directors Guild of America.

The film, which earned an Academy Award nomination last week, tells the story of the folk musician who became a huge star in South Africa while remaining a virtual unknown in the United States, even in his hometown of Detroit.

Searching for Sugar Man will compete against Kirby Dick’s The Invisible War, Lauren Greenfield’s The Queen of Versailles, Alison Klayman’s Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry and David Frances’ How to Survive a Plague.

Winners will be announced on February 2nd at the 65th annual DGA Awards Dinner in Hollywood, in a ceremony hosted by Kelsey Grammer.

“Life of Pi” Cinematographer Miranda Wins Critics’ Choice Award

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

The Critics have spoken… And, they’ve heralded Claudio Miranda…

The Chilean filmmaker picked up the first Critics’ Choice Award of his career, in his first try, from the Broadcast Film Critics Association on Thursday night.

Miranda won the Best Cinematography trophy for his work on Ang Lee’s Life of Pi.

It’s the latest win for Miranda, who was just nominated for an Academy Award for serving as the Director of Photography on the critically acclaimed Life of Pi. He’d previously won a Satellite Award and a trophy from the New York Film Critics Online.

Meanwhile, Searching for Sugar Man – about Mexican American singer Rodriguez – picked up its latest Best Documentary Feature trophy.

Delgado Earns First Academy Award Nomination…

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Paco Delgado has a date with Oscar…

The Spanish costume designer has earned his first Academy Award nomination in the Best Costume Design category for his impressive work in Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper‘s film adaptation of the Broadway musical Les Misérables.

Delgado, considered a favorite to earn an Oscar nod all season, oversaw the creation of more than 2,200 outfits for the cast of the epic film. He recently opened up about his designs in an online featurette.

Meanwhile, Chilean cinematographer Claudio Miranda has picked up his second Oscar nomination for his work Ang Lee’s adventure drama Life of Pi. He’d previously earned a nod for 2008’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Pablo Larraín earned his firstAcademy Awardnomination in the Best Foreign Language Film categoryfor directingthe Spanish-language drama No, starring Gael García Bernal as an in-demand advertising executive who develops a campaign that helps overthrow Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet’s regime.

Mexican sound mixer José Antonio García, who earned critical acclaim for his sound mixing Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Babel, earned his first Academy Award nomination in the Best Sound Mixing category for his work on Ben Affleck’s Argo.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has nominated Malik Bendjelloul’s Searching for Sugar Man – the critically acclaimed film which tells the story of Mexican-American singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez – in the Best Documentary Film category.

Click here for a complete look at this year’s nominees.

The 85th Academy Awards will be broadcast live on February 24 on ABC.

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