Romanian rock has lost one of its leading figures: Radu Manafu, guitarist and founding member of the band “Celelalte Cuvinte”, a band considered by many to be the continuation of the Phoenix spirit in Romanian music.
Radu Manafu, guitarist and founding member of the band “Celelalte Cuvinte”, passed away on Thursday, June 11, and the sad news was made public even by his bandmates, who sent a mournful message on social networks.
“Unfortunately, as of today, Radu Manafu is no longer among us. He remains the one who was with us from the beginning and with his soul by his side until the last moment, even if the circumstances to appear on stage were more unfavorable for him after the 90s. We will always keep his memory alive” the bandmates wrote.
“Celelalte Cuvinte” appeared in Timișoara, at the end of 1981, at a time when rock in Romania was still a little defined, and the appearance of stable bands was rare. The first formula included Călin Pop, Radu Manafu and Ovidiu Roșu, the last two originally from Drobeta-Turnu Severin, who came to study in Timișoara.
In the 80s, the band asserted itself by participating more and more often in concerts and student festivals, where it managed to win the hearts of rock lovers. Later, the band started to release the first official materials through Electrecord, in a difficult period for rock music in Romania, marked by few opportunities for promotion and recording, during the communist period.
However, gradually, “Celelalte Cuvinte” began to be regarded as one of the important formations that appeared in Romanian rock after Phoenix, the main landmark for the music scene of that time.
The band’s style has evolved from progressive rock to hard and alternative sounds, being one of the longest-lasting high-profile bands in Romania.
Radu Manafu remained in the band until 1996, when he retired for personal reasons. However, he continued to contribute to the recording of material that remains in the reference discography of “The Other Words”.
