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Gov. Jan Brewer Pushes Back on Obama's Executive Order; Julian Assange Holed Up in London's Ecuadorian Embassy; Mitt Romney Breaks Out the Whiteboard in Greer, S.C.; Relentless Fighting in Aleppo Makes Even Hospitals Unsafe Havens

Aired August 16, 2012 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to NEWSROOM INTERNATIONAL. I'm Suzanne Malveaux, where we take you around the world in 60 minutes. Here's what's going on right now.

High atop Mount Kenya, frantic search for survivors after three helicopters go down.

Then, lifting the children up from Uganda through an art form straight out of the South Bronx. We are going to talk about the healing powers of hip-hop.

But we begin today back on the border. A controversial - here, the fight heating up in the state at the center of the immigration battle. We're talking, of course, Arizona. Governor Jan Brewer, she is once again taking on the Obama administration on immigration rights. She is pushing back hard on the president's executive order that gives children of illegal immigrants the chance to work in the United States for two years without having to worry about being deported. But just hours after that went into effect, Governor Brewer issued her own executive order telling the state agencies to deny benefits to applicants.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JAN BREWER (R), ARIZONA: We will issue a employment authorization card to those people that apply, but they will not be entitled to a driver's license, nor will they be entitled to any public benefits in response to the public overwhelmingly voting that no public benefits would be extended to illegal aliens in the state of Arizona.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Miguel Marquez is joining us from outside of the offices of an organization that is advocating for immigration rights in Los Angeles. And Miguel, first of all, just want to get a sense of the reaction, the kind of emotion that is coming from folks over Brewer's order. Let's just listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What Jan Brewer did today is bullying. She is bullying the voiceless. She is bullying children that they can't defend themselves. And she is bullying immigrant youth that don't have a voice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEUAX: So, Miguel, obviously, a lot of pushback here, a lot of people are very upset about what has happened here. The executive order, the president's order, it doesn't require for the states to actually provide these public benefits to these applicants. So, what is at stake for some of the folks who applied yesterday?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well -- yes, it doesn't. What Arizona has done, what Jan Brewer has done is to deny them state benefits. So things like driver's licenses, perhaps money for college or welfare, food benefits and the like. But it is not clear that even that will hold up given the status that the president has conferred on these people or will confer on these people once they get through this process.

And I want to show you here in Los Angeles, this is the offices of CHIRLA here. We had a huge line yesterday, and today since 3:00 this morning, people are lining up. It's already around the corner. There must be 250 people in line at this point. These offices can handle 200 to 300 applicants a day, and they are going to have their work cut out for them.

But Arizona, it is a different case there. California appears that they will grant driver's licenses. You will be able to get benefits, and that these people will have a much higher level of interaction in society, and won't face the deportations as they did previously. What Arizona is -- where Arizona is cutting out is those state benefits that they may be able to get.

But my guess is that this is going to end up in courts, and we haven't seen the last of this yet. You know, they are only starting to fill out the applications today. It will take months before they actually get those applications back and they get their status actually confirmed. So, there is a lot of room here and a lot of play here before we actually see how this plays out.

MALVEUAX: Miguel, how is this playing out with people you talk to in terms of the of the Obama administration and whether or not he is the one they would be supporting when it comes to the immigration policy?

MARQUEZ: Well, they're a little -- they are not entirely sure. I mean, they are excited about what is happening right now. They believe they have a two-year reprieve to sort of prove themselves and prove that this program can work. And if they can show that the end of the world won't come by allowing the people here today and over the next several weeks to apply for this, that when cooler heads prevail perhaps after the November election, that they can get some comprehensive reform. That they can figure out how to make something more permanent and they can resolve the immigration policy. Because both sides of the debate basically say it doesn't work. Suzanne?

MALVEUAX: All right. Miguel, thank you. Appreciate it. Now, there are two countries that are staring each other down today over how to handle this controversial case of Julian Assange. Now you may recall what this is all about. Asange, he is the founder of Wikileaks, the Web site of course, which has released thousands of classified documents, embarrassing governments all over the world, including in the United States and Britain.

Well, he is holed up today at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. He's been there for a while, and he can't even stick his head out, because British police will arrest him, send him to Sweden where he is wanted on sex crime charges. So the Ecuadorian government agreed to grant him asylum to Assange, but there is the problem here. If he steps outside of that embassy, he would be arrested. If Julian Assange can get to Ecuador, he will be immune from what his supporters are calling political persecution.

I want to bring in Atika Shubert, who's live in London to break this down for us, really, because it is fascinating really when you think about it. Because in some ways, he is trapped inside of this embassy. But there is a, there's a clearance here for him to actually get asylum. How does he manage to actually get to Ecuador if he can?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is the big question, and it is what is being disputed among the legal experts, diplomatic experts as to exactly what happens next. Basically what Britain has said is that they believe it is their obligation to extradite him to Sweden as per their agreement and as per a supreme court ruling here. They say that so long as he is in the Ecuadorian embassy, they will not be able arrest him.

However, they have pointed to a diplomatic act that does say that if that embassy is being misused, then they can then take away the diplomatic status, and that would allow the police to enter. That, however, is a process to take months to go through, a lot of legal wrangling and of course, contested by Ecuador. So, it seems very unlikely it would happen.

But Ecuador clearly has taken offense to that. They feel it is very threatening. As a result, it seems, they have granted Julian Assange asylum, But it means he is stuck in the embassy without any way to actually get to Ecuador where he might feel safer.

So for now, it means that there is a diplomatic standoff. And he has protesters here waiting for him, waiting to see what happens next. And clearly, they are happy with today's victory today, but they say still a long way to go. Listen to what one protester told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICARDO ARMANDO PATINO, ECUADORIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: The Ecuadorian government has failed. They need to protect those seeking asylum, and so we have decided to grant diplomatic asylum to Mr. Assange.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHUBERT: Well, sorry.

So, the fact is that he is here. He's won a political victory, but in fact, it doesn't change his situation. He's still stuck inside, unable to get out. And of course, Sweden says they still want him for questioning. So in terms of what is happening on the ground, it changes very little.

MALVEUAX: All right. Atika, keep us posted. Appreciate it.

He never made it as a musician inside of the United States, but somehow he became bigger than Elvis in South Africa. Well, now he is making a comeback.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks for keeping me alive.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is on stage and the crowd is just going wild, and they are singing and crying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEUAX: We're going to go live to campaign trail for a moment here. We are watching Mitt Romney. He's talking about health care and Medicare of course. It is an issue that is front and center for the campaign. He's in Greer, South Carolina. He has set up a little whiteboard there to explain. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN LIVE COVERAGE OF PRESS CONFERENCE)

MITT ROMNEY, GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You are going to have to take me over here. Which -- as you can see, there is no change in Medicare for seniors. None under my plan.

So, for these down here, all right, you asked me, which of these two do you think is better? Going bankrupt or being solvent? Well, obviously, being solvent. And what it is that the plan that I put forward is a plan very similar to Medicare Advantage. It gives all of the next generation retirees the option of having either standard Medicare, a fee-for-service type government-run Medicare or a private Medicare plan. They get their choice. That is very much like what we have today in Medicare Advantage. It's almost identical.

So, people will have a choice. There will be greater competition between the government and the private plans. I think that ultimately, you will see that the cost reduced as there is more competition. But the choice will be for individual individuals. I actually prefer consumer choice to government choice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) Governor, in the last couple of days, you have said that the president's campaign is hateful, you've said it's decisive, you've said it's angry. But poll after poll still says that the American people like President Obama, think he's a good guy, a likable guy. So, I'm curious what you see that the American people don't see with this president?

ROMNEY: I think that the American people are also disturbed with a campaign that's been as divisive as this campaign has been. As I go to the rallies and speak to people about the tone of the campaign, they have seen the same thing I am seeing. Which is not distinct -- drawing distinctions between our positions on issues, but rather personal attacks and the kind of divisiveness that is unbecoming of the presidency. And frankly, the comments of the vice president as well. These are comments that I think that a lot of people find troubling.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Governor -- Governor, are you saying that the president does not understand America?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In your campaign, you have said that President Obama doesn't know how the create jobs in the private sector - (INAUDIBLE).

(JET FLYING OVERHEAD)

ROMNEY: Well, I'm different than Congressman Ryan. We are a team. I have a different background than he has. He has a background that will be very helpful to me if I become president, because he has spent 14 years working in Washington, working with Democrats, working with members of the staff, and in the various administrations. I mean, he understands the process and mechanics of Washington and the personalities in Washington. That'll be very helpful to my administration.

What I will bring to that team is a 25-year life experience in the private sector, understanding which policies will actually have the most positive impact on job creation. So we are a team. We bring in complementary skills. At the same time we share common values and principles.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Governor, you are obviously bringing out a whiteboard and you recognize that it is a complicated issue to discuss Medicare. Do you worry that this is distracting from the main message of the economy. Do you worry that you -- this is distracting from the big momentum push you've had by picking Representative Ryan about your running mate. And is this what you want to be talking about right now?

ROMNEY: I think we're the ones that brought up the topic. I wanted to make sure that people understand what the president has done in welfare, what the president has done in Medicare. In both places, he has made pretty dramatic changes, which I think that the people of America will find illustrative of a very different point of view than most people have.

In welfare, providing a removal of the work requirement in certain cases I think has been surprising to people. And likewise in Medicare. The president has taken action in Medicare, which significantly impacts the kind of health care opportunities and benefits that will be provided for current seniors. This is going to be a big issue in places where there are a lot of seniors. Because I mean, you look up there. Our plan, no change for the current seniors. (END LIVE COVERAGE)

MALVEAUX: Still watching Mitt Romney there, making a stop at the airport at South Carolina setting up a whiteboard to discuss Medicare and some of the other plans. Obviously trying to push forward making some distinctions between himself and Ryan's Medicare reform plan as well as the president.

We are going to take a quick break. We will be back more with international news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: In Aleppo, shelling by Syrian regime forces on residential areas as well as a hospital. It is now relentless. As Ben Wedeman shows us, there is no place left to hide. There is a warning here that this is graphic material that you are going to see here, this fighting in Syria.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Twelve-year-old Mohammed screams out in fear and pain. Shrapnel ripped through the right leg through the air raid in an air raid on the Dada Shifa (ph) hospital in Aleppo's Shah (ph) district. Three passersby, including Mohammed, were wounded in the attack. The task of treating the wounded here harder by the day, nurse (INAUDIBLE) tells me. Half of our equipment no longer works, he says.

For almost an hour Syrian government jet bombed and strafed the area, twice striking the clearly marked hospital. Out of view, rebels fired back fruitlessly at the plane. In an entranceway across the street from the hospital, the blood is still wet where Mohammed, wounded, took cover. Nerves still on edge at the possibility that the plane will strike yet again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Going, going going!

WEDEMAN: Mohammed's brother, Abdul, fled the emergency ward in panic after the second attack at the hospital, and is afraid to go back in. The shelling and air raids have no rhyme nor reason. The rounds smash into the crowded neighborhoods far from the front lines.

Mohammed (INAUDIBLE) was in a back room when his apartment was hit. He had sent his family away just a few days before.

Thank God they weren't here, he say says, but what am I going to do? Where am I going to live? His neighbors clear away the rubble with exhausted resignation.

(on camera): The random nature of the shelling and the air raids on the rebel-controlled parts of Aleppo means that any building, anywhere in this part of the city could be hit at any time. In fact, this building was hit just 20 minutes ago. For many of the residents of Aleppo, it is simply time to leave.

(voice-over): Some go by foot. Most by car or pickup taking the bare minimum. The shelling, answers, (INAUDIBLE) when I asked why he and his family are leaving, we don't know where it is coming from. Their destination is what they hope is a safer part of town. But here, no place is truly safe.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Aleppo, Syria.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: I want to bring in Hala Gorani of CNN International, and it is really just hard to watch when you see the level of pain that people are going through.

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And this is what the children will remember. This is the summer of 2012 for seven-, eight- and nine-year-olds who have to hide in basements, who have to run away from emergency room wards in hospitals because the hospitals are being bombed now by the regime forces.

MALVEUAX: Why is that? Why are they targeting the hospitals?

GORANI: Well, let me give you the example of Azaz, which is a small town 20 miles north of Aleppo. This is a town in rebel hands for three weeks. A French magazine article that was initially published by Agent France's press described the town as returning to normal somewhat as people were standing in line at the bakery, some sort of organization, some sort of civic life returning to Azaz. A small village in rebel hands.

What happened yesterday? Aerial bombardments; 20 to 25 homes flattened according to a Reuters correspondent who visited Azaz. This is what the regime is saying, if you are sympathetic to the rebels -- not even if you have bases there, but you are expressing sympathy with the rebel movement, we will send you a message and we're going to flatten your town. And that is what happened with Azaz, according to the witnesses on the ground.

MALVEAUX: We are seeing the video and examples of that time and time again. Human Rights Watch putting out its own video saying that these were literally Syrian regime jets that were coming through and attacking. And at least 40 civilians killed.

What happens next? What happens now? Because the U.N., I mean, they have their hands tied, and you have even a development on that as well.

GORANI: Well, this is just minutes ago. The U.N. observer mission that was comprised of 300 U.N. observers in Syria whose job it was to document. They were unarmed - it was to document what was going on. Already their number cut in half, and now the French ambassador to the United Nations is saying that this mission will not be renewed. It expires this weekend. Its mandate will not be extended.

MALVEAUX: So, what does that mean? Do these guys who are now in hotels, and they leave the country --

GORANI: Well, they have been working for several weeks anyway because they couldn't due to security reasons, they did not have access to some of the worst hot spots in Syria. So now they just go back. And the question is going to be, after Kofi Annan, will the United Nations bother to name another envoy for the U.N. and the Arab league to Syria? Or will they consider that this is now at this point useless and won't amount to anything? That is what we're going to have to look at.

MALVEAUX: Where is the help coming from for the rebels here? If you have the U.N. and you've got these monitors pulling out, and you have the Syrian government now bombarding the civilians, where do they get the assistance here to fight back?

GORANI: These are reports coming to us that they are able to get arms, light arms, right now through the border from Turkey. Turkey is allowing some of the arms according to reports to go through the border into northern Syria.

The question is going to be now, the spill-over effect of what is happening. This tragic humanitarian disaster in Syria. And the loss of civilian life and civilian suffering is now spilling over into Lebanon. We are seeing kidnappings, tit-for-tat kidnappings, in Lebanon and Syria. You have Syrians being kidnapped in Lebanon. People sympathetic the opposition being kidnapped in Syria. And as a result, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, among other countries, are telling their citizen to leave immediately.

So this is not going to stop at the border of Syria. It is going to have an impact across the region.

MALVEAUX: Hala, you and I were talking during the break a little bit about again going back to the hospitals there, and the reason why - I mean, people don't go to those hospitals because they are so afraid. How do they get treatment? How do the rebels -- where do they go?

GORANI: They go to the field hospitals. You have volunteers. In fact, one individual I'm in touch with in Aleppo who is trained as a laboratory technician has told me that he is doing what he can to smuggle in goods and medicine to some of the field hospitals. Because the fear is that not only that you will be bombarded, but if you go to the government-run hospitals and you are sympathetic with the opposition or you are a rebel, you are going to be arrested, you are going to be tortured, and you are going to be identified by the government in these hospitals. So, there are field hospitals popping up everywhere in the rebel zones.

MALVEAUX: Hala, thank you. I mean, it is devastating to see what is taking place.

GORANI: Very difficult to watch. You see the children who have lost their parents and themselves wounded and too afraid to even go to the hospital emergency ward. And you saw the dread and the fear on that little boy's face in Ben Wedeman's reporting. It is heartbreaking.

MALVEAUX: It is heartbreaking. Thank you, Hala.

We will have more after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: All right. What in the world is more British than the famous black cab or maybe the Spice Girls? I don't know. Two icons met at the Olympic closing ceremonies to add perfect UK flair to the celebration of all things proudly British.

But only one company makes the famous black cab, and they are not celebrating today. There was some kind of mix-up here, and it caused the company to lose a staggering amount of its value this week.

We want the bring in Richard Quest in London to talk about it. Richard, you are always talking about the financial bombshell that is taking place. But I think that this is real, right, in Britain? People are worried about upset about what is taking place with this taxi cab company?

RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Here it is. It is the London cab. It is made by Manganese Bronze, a company that is about 20 percent owned by the Chinese.

No, this is the archetype, but there are different cabs that are also in London. But this is the one, the famous black cab. The problem is a bit like the meter when it really starts to roll up. The problem is that there was an accounting, I.T. error. And when that was finally put right, the company found itself about what translating to dollars, about $6 million less money than it thought it had. Not a huge amount, but this is a relatively small cab in a small company.

What it meant, of course, is that the share price lost a third of the value. All this on the same week that the Spice Girls, as you rightly point out, rode into the Olympic Stadium for the closing ceremonies to show you what this cab is really like, how it's been created and the innovation. Have a watch, because this is no ordinary vehicle.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

PAUL WILLIAMS, PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR, LONDON TAXI COMPANY: This is exactly how they arrive. They have cling film over the bodies not only as a protection but also to encapsulate the parts inside.

JOHN RUSSELL, CEO, MANGANESE BRONZE: We took the decision to bring the bodies from Shanghai because we had a new set of tooling there, which was a significant improvement on the tooling we had in Coventry. And economically it made no sense to build the bodies in two locations.

WILLIAMS: This is the green room area. The fellows here can see if there's any issues with the metalwork. So it actually highlights the high spots or the deficiencies in the metal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST: Now the important thing about the Manganese Bronze cab is it's not just a converted ordinary car for cab purposes. Suzanne, is has special space. It's especially accessible for those who are disabled. It has a load of other attributes that make it uniquely suited to being a cab.

And of course, the drivers who drive them have had to pass something known as the knowledge, which is why if you get into a cab in London and ask for the most obscure address in the city, it's a fair bet they'll be able to find it.

MALVEAUX: Obviously, you guys have a lot of pride in this, in this cab company, so we will see how it recovers.

Richard, we got to leave it there. Thank you very much. Appreciate it.

Mount Kenya may be one of the most beautiful places in East Africa, but it is also a very dangerous place to be stranded. Well, rescuers are now scrambling to try to find survivors after three helicopters crashed on the mountain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Rescue crews in Kenya are racing to find five people missing on a mountain filled with dangerous wildlife. The Ugandan Peacekeepers were headed to Somalia when three of their helicopters crashed on Mount Kenya.

That happened on Sunday, where the pilot and the co-pilot of one of the helicopters, unfortunately, were found dead and 21 people were rescued. Officials are hopeful that the five still missing might be alive. And Chad Myers, who joins us -- and Chad, I've climbed Mount Kenya, it is a rough terrain.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I remember.

MALVEAUX: -- It is very -- the altitude very much at the top of the mountain, very light. It is dangerous to actually try to breathe. There are rhinos on the mountain as well.

MYERS: Did you see any wildlife when you were on the -- ?

MALVEAUX: We did see wildlife and the terrain changes as you go up the mountain. So the temperature gets much colder and it is -- you need a guide, really, to get you through Mount Kenya.

What could possibly they be going through now, four days missing?

MYERS: You know, it's an old stratiform volcano, extinct, but extinct for many millions of years, but as you said, it does change as it goes up. The steepness changes quite a bit. The irony is, the report that they found of the men that they found alive were almost three miles from the wreckage. So they were trying to hike out.

So usually, you think, OK, stay with the craft, it will be easier for them to find a helicopter than to find you walking around a jungle somewhere, but look at the terrain, and just the cloud cover and the fog.

That is what these men and women, the rescuers have been working with now for the entire week. It has been just a mess there. Four solid days of very heavy rain, and obviously a very steep, steep Mount Kenya.

So as they are trying to get to these men, although, one of the reports that I have been seeing online from Capital News Kenya said that the rescue has been called off because they have found the five bodies -- they didn't say alive or dead, but when they say bodies, it usually tells you that they didn't find them alive.

There is it right there, steep mountain as the peaks come up to the side. They were very high on this mountain so you lose oxygen, temperatures well below freezing at night, and obviously being there for many, many days in that kind of cold will obviously take its toll on anyone up there. It was very foggy and rainy when these three helicopters crashed.

One did not crash. One helicopter made it to its destination to refuel, but three helicopters still up there on Mount Kenya. The one that, right now, we believe that the men and the women are gone, the soldiers are gone, actually did burn as it made impact with the mountain. Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you for the update, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

MALVEAUX: He is a living legend and he says that it was hip-hop that saved his life. Well, now he is using breakdancing to help the children of Uganda rise above poverty.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: "Hip-hop was all I had." Well, that is what one young man in Uganda, central Africa sees it. Abraham Tekya, he was orphaned as a young boy, and he says his role models were people he saw on hip- hop videos, like breakdancer Richard "Crazy Legs" Colon.

Well, now, that young man, he is inspiring other young people in Uganda. Red Bull Media documents his story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABRAHAM "ABRAMZ" TEKYA, BPU: As I was growing up, I went through a lot, losing both of my parents when I was about 7 or 8 years. It was really tough. The training that I had was art. I used to draw, I used to dance, I used to rap.

Growing up my role models were the dancers and rappers that I used to see on videos, people like Crazy Legs and the Rock Steady Crew, Shrimp and Shabba Doo, A Tribe Called Quest, Run-D.M.C., Common and a lot more.

Hip-hop was all I had. And it played a very big role in my life. That is really why I want to share it with other people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): In 2006, Abramz Tekya created Breakdance Project Uganda. The dream was to create a workshop teaching kids about B-boy culture. Three years since creating Breakdance Project Uganda or BPU, he and a loyal group of teachers work twice a week with any young person with the heart and a desire to learn.

TEKYA: Breakdance Project Uganda is an organization that uses the hip-hop culture to empower youth and uplift communities country- wide. People donate money, we donate B-boy skills. And it has changed a lot of people's lives. A lot of people have become confident because they also have something that they possess, something that belongs to them.

A lot of us grew up being called disadvantaged kids, so this is where the pride is, because this is what they own as people, something that nobody else can take away from them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Uganda has been called one of the worst places on Earth to be a child. A history of poverty, violence and disease has plagued the country since its colonization.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Joining us from New York, one of the people who inspired that young man, Richard "Crazy Legs" Colon, who's been breakdancing for 35 years. He has toured the world as part of the Rock Steady Crew, breakdancing group.

And it is so nice to see you. What should I call you? Should I call you Crazy Legs? Should I call you Richard? What would you like?

RICHARD "CRAZY LEGS" COLON, BREAKDANCER: Just call me Legs, and that is good enough.

MALVEAUX: Legs. All right. I call you Legs.

COLON: Yes.

MALVEAUX: I loved this documentary, I love seeing how this is impacting young people in Uganda.

How did you even come about getting involved in something like that?

COLON: Well, the director, Nibel Eldican (ph), was in Uganda, working on a project. And he had an opportunity to do a project with Red Bull as well. And his focus changed after meeting Abramz and all these guys from BPU to doing something on that.

And he asked them, well, what is your wish list of hip-hop heads that you would like to come down --

MALVEAUX: Sure.

COLON: -- to Uganda and I was on that list. And Red Bull called me and said, hey, there's no money involved. We want you to go, and I was like, let's go. Let's do this. I had no reservations at all.

All right. I love to see what you were actually doing with these kids. Explain to me how you were received. You were there, you were teaching folks how to dance. What did they make of all of the moves and the excitement and how did this young man become so empowered just by dancing?

COLON: Well, they don't have much going on in the first place, and their biggest issue is getting to and from school, if they can actually get there, and having supplies for school. So when they don't have things that allow them to sustain themselves on an educational level, they gravitate towards these arts within hip-hop, because there's such a commonality within hip-hop throughout the world.

It is a way to bridge the gaps between so many people, and it brought me to them. And I think the fact that it make makes them feel like they can also still be recognized and we know that they are there, it gives them a great sense of empowerment.

MALVEAUX: Legs, one of the things that you did in The Bronx -- and it was really amazing how this came about was that you were able to help people resolve conflicts through dance. And that is something that it looks like it is taking place in Uganda as well. How does that happen?

COLON: For me personally?

MALVEAUX: Yes, I mean, you teach them to actually, you know, resolve their issues without being violent, without being pessimistic.

COLON: Yes. Well, the beauty about hip-hop, although it had no ideology or agenda when it first started, the fact that you had to develop your talent in order to be effective with it meant that you spent less time doing a lot of nonsense in the streets, because you had to really come out to the next jam or party or whatever and show that your skills have gotten better in order to get those great props from the thugs, they don't mug you.

(LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX: We were watching, too, I understand you were in "Flashdance" and this -- what was this move that you did, this -- the windmill backspin move that you became known for, right?

COLON: Yes, yes, well, I developed the backspin through times, first in so what they call a whip backspin and then what most people know as the windmill. And both of them were by accident. You know, I can't sit here and say I created it, but it was my mistake and I am cool with that.

MALVEAUX: Well, we love to watch you do this. Why do you suppose this really transcends cultures, transcends countries to bring this dance to Uganda, and that the young people have embraced it as they have?

COLON: This dance is about youth. It is about energy. It is about excitement. It is about being competitive. It gives you an opportunity to have -- just honestly, it just brings so many people together because we admire each other's skill.

And when you see someone take a move to another level that you have been trying to develop yourself and you see someone else has done it, and they are from, let's say, Russia, you are just completely blown away and it's like I got to meet that person or who is this person? I want to get with him. I want to practice with him. I want to communicate with him. How did he come up with that? And it's just this common interest.

MALVEAUX: And Legs, what else are you interested in? I understand you got a cooking project that's going on as well?

COLON: A what?

MALVEAUX: A cooking project, is that right?

COLON: Oh, yes, I do a show called "Lunch Breaks Show" on crazylegsworkshop.com, and it's basically -- like I have different artists, whether they're rap artists, deejays, they'll come in, cook for the first hour, show how they survive on their own as a bachelor or how they take care of their kids, simple meals.

And we play, you know, they -- after they cook, they deejay or they dance or they kick rhymes. Like Big Daddy Kane was on, he came on and cooked and just sat down and started rhyming for the next hour.

MALVEAUX: It sounds like a great project, I'll have to watch it. Thank you for the T-shirt, Rock Steady Crew. I used to bust a move back in my day. I tried your move a couple times there. I love breakdancing. Thank you, Legs. Good to see you.

COLON: Thank you for having me, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Sure.

Here in the United States, he was just another failed musician, working some odd jobs to make ends meet. But in South Africa, he was bigger that the Rolling Stones when, after four decades, he is back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Rodriguez.

(APPLAUSE) (END VIDEO CLIP)

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MALVEAUX: This doesn't seem like it would add up. How does a man who is more popular than the Rolling Stones, Elvis or The Beatles in South Africa not even know about it or have a dollar to show for it?

Well, as Poppy Harlow shows us, Sixto Rodriguez is likely the most famous musician you have never heard of.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We thought he was like the inner city poet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was this wandering spirit around the city.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sixto Rodriguez, a Dylanesque Detroit native who tried his hand at rock history in the '70s.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

MIKE THEODORE, CO-PRODUCER, "COLD FACT": When we walked in and heard the songs he was singing and what he was writing, we had to record him. We had to make a deal for him. He is great. This is it.

HARLOW (voice-over): But it wasn't. Rodriguez' albums flopped in the U.S. Somehow, though, his first album, "Cold Fact," made it halfway around the world and became a massive hit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In South Africa, he was in the pantheon of rock gods.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To us, it was one of the most famous records of all time.

HARLOW (voice-over): The soundtrack of the anti-apartheid movement, fueling a revolution.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

HARLOW (voice-over): But at home in Detroit, Rodriguez had no idea. He'd given up his music career. That was four decades ago.

HARLOW: You used to play right across the street there, right?

SIXTO RODRIGUEZ, MUSICIAN: Well, I played a lot of places in Detroit.

HARLOW (voice-over): Unaware of his fame abroad and getting no royalties, Rodriguez lived on little, raising his daughters doing demolition work. SIXTO RODRIGUEZ: I'm not a stranger to hard work.

HARLOW (voice-over): He made failed bids for mayor, and city council and state rep.

HARLOW: You call yourself a musical politico.

SIXTO RODRIGUEZ: Musical politico. Yes. I don't see how anyone can't be and is not political.

HARLOW (voice-over): Then at 57, he was rediscovered by a South African music journalist and a record store owner, who found clues in his lyrics.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We found him, we found him.

HARLOW (voice-over): They brought Rodriguez to South Africa and he played to thousands of adoring fans.

SIXTO RODRIGUEZ: Thanks for keeping me alive.

SANDRA RODRIGUEZ, DAUGHTER: He is on stage and the crowd is just going wild, and they are singing and they are crying.

HARLOW: It brings you to tears to see something like that happen to someone?

SANDRA RODRIGUEZ: Yes.

SIXTO RODRIGUEZ: Well, that was -- it was epic.

HARLOW: Do you not think that your story is exceptional beyond belief?

SIXTO RODRIGUEZ: Oh, it is pretty wild, the story. You know, I'm a lucky man to be so fortunate at this late date.

MALIK BENDJELLOUL, FILMMAKER: This is a true Cinderella story.

HARLOW (voice-over): Filmmaker Malik Bendjelloul tells it in his documentary, "Searching for Sugar Man."

BENDJELLOUL: A man who lives his whole life in Detroit, as working as a construction worker, really hard manual labor, without knowing that at the very same time, he is more famous than Elvis Presley in another part of the world. I thought it was the most beautiful story I ever heard in my life.

HARLOW (voice-over): A beautiful story, but also a mystery: where were all the royalties?

BENDJELLOUL: I don't know. I don't know. I do think it is an important question, because the reason why Rodriguez didn't know that he was famous for 30 years was that he didn't get royalties.

HARLOW (voice-over): When asked if he feels ripped off? SIXTO RODRIGUEZ: Well, oh, no, not in that sense of it. And hate is too strong an emotion to waste on someone you don't like. You know?

HARLOW: Do you want the fame and the fortune?

SIXTO RODRIGUEZ: Well, fame is fleeting.

HARLOW: Now 70, Rodriguez may finally get his due.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Rodriguez!

HARLOW: Do you ever pinch yourself and ask, is this real?

SIXTO RODRIGUEZ: It is real? Well, it certainly is a different life. You know, it's certainly not what it was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Wow, that is great. Poppy Harlow, she is live for us.

That is an amazing story, Poppy. Is he going to release any other albums? Do we know what his future is?

HARLOW: He said he is going to, Suzanne. He only ever released two albums but they were just this massive hit and so he made it halfway around the world. He said, yes, he's going to release more albums, but he'd better get started and do it soon, because he is 70 years old.

But I'll tell you, you know, a story like this could never happen again, because it was the '70s, there was no Internet. Rodriguez had no phone living in Detroit. He lived in 26 different homes. He's sort of a wanderer, and also, South Africa was isolated from the rest of the world because of apartheid.

So if you think about it, I don't think a story like this is ever going to happen again. But it is a Cinderella story, good for him. And, frankly, we hope he a lot of money, a lot of fame coming his way.

MALVEAUX: Yes, an extraordinary story. Thank you, Poppy. We really appreciate it.

HARLOW: Sure.

MALVEAUX: I was covering President Bill Clinton in Africa back in 1998 when this photo was taken. So when I saw this same boy all grown up 14 years later, pretty amazing. Going to tell you why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Bill Clinton ran into Bill Clinton a few days ago in central Africa. It was really a sweet reunion actually, so I want you to take a look at the picture. This is from 1998. This is President Bill Clinton. He visited Uganda and he held a little baby boy in his arms. Well, the baby's parents named him Bill Clinton in honor of the American president.

I remember this moment very well; I was actually covering President Clinton on that trip to central Africa. So fast forward 14 years to a few days ago. Bill Clinton and an old friend, Bill Clinton, they met again, had lunch together in Uganda. Young Bill Clinton reportedly told the former president that he wants to be a doctor and the two promised to stay in touch. How sweet.