Inside Nokia Music

The Black Cab Sessions is the simple, well conceived idea of video recording bands and artists in the back seat of a London cab. It’s been going for a couple years now and has played host to the likes of Brian Wilson, Seasick Steve, Peter Bjorn & John and humorously so Death Cab For Cutie, but a recent discovery came as quite a surprise to me in the form of Sixto Rodriguez.

Rodriguez is a Detroit born folk singer songwriter who’s parents immigrated from Mexico in the 1920’s, his music focuses on the strife of inner city living with songs about Pushers and Prostitutes. Rodriguez only ever recorded 2 albums, “Cold Fact” in 1970 and “After The Fact – Coming From Reality” in 1971 but due to poor album sales was dropped by his label shortly after.

Though achieving significant airplay in Antipodean countries in the 70’s and a cult following that would span several generations to come, Rodriguez himself knew not of this and was also rumoured to be deceased. Now there are conflicting rumours as to how he came to learn of this dedicated following. One claims that his eldest daughter discovered a website dedicated to him in 1998, the other claims that 2 friends went to seek him out and found him working on a building site in Detroit. Whichever it may be didn’t matter to me, what did was that as a lifelong fan that assumed I’d never see him live actually did back in 2005 and how wonderfully ironic it is that he finally seems to be receiving his comeuppance so long “After The fact”

Find the Rodriguez session at The Black Cab Sessions