The Mexican-American singer-songwriter Rodriguez is booked to perform two dates in South Africa in February 2013, Big Concerts announced this morning.

The two performances are scheduled on Friday 15th February at the Big Top Arena, Carnival City Johannesburg and Wednesday 20th February at the Grand Arena, GrandWest Cape Town.

Rodriguez gained a huge cult following in South Africa in the '70's and '80's after his 1969 debut album, Cold Fact, bombed in the US. Banned by the Apartheid government after a bootleg sneaked into the country, Cold Fact became a nationwide phenomenon, and the soundtrack to a resistance movement of liberal African youth. Back in his hometown of Detroit, living a hardscrabble life, Rodriguez was totally unaware that he was not just a folk hero, but a household name in South Africa. During these times Rodriguez disappeared and rumours started spreading that he committed suicide.

Recently two South African fans then set out to find out what really happened to him, and their investigation led them to a story more extraordinary than any of the many myths they'd heard. Their story forms the basis of the 2012 documentary Searching For Sugarman which was a big hit at this year's Sundance Film Festival where it won the world documentary audience award and a special jury award, and it received fantastic reviews at this year's SXSW, Tribeca film festival, Sydney film festival and several others around the world.