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Phil Manzanera
Words and Music
by Anil Prasad
Copyright © 2026 Anil Prasad.
Photo: Jon BauerLegendary guitarist and composer Phil Manzanera opened San Francisco’s 2026 Noise Pop Festival with an intimate appearance at the Great American Music Hall, blending conversation and performance as part of a short “Words and Music” tour. Dressed sharply and projecting an easy charm, the 75-year-old musician used the evening to explore his career spanning more than five decades. He drew from his expansive retrospective box set 50 Years of Music and his recent memoir Revolución to Roxy to frame the night as both celebration and self-reflection.
In discussion with Anil Prasad, Manzanera traced his family history back centuries before recounting his childhood in Cuba, where his mother introduced him to Spanish guitar and traditional songs. He described a diverse upbringing that took him through Venezuela and Hawaii before settling in London, each stop leaving a mark on his musical vocabulary. The strong Latin undercurrent in his playing, he suggested, is rooted in those formative experiences and continues to inform his sound decades later.
The narrative eventually arrived in London, where key relationships and stylistic shifts shaped his professional life. He recalled meeting David Gilmour and entering the progressive rock scene, then pivoting toward art rock as a founding member of Roxy Music. He also touched on later ventures, including collaborations with Brian Eno in the exploratory project 801, illustrating how his appetite for experimentation has threaded through his solo and group work alike.
Performance segments punctuated the storytelling. Midway through, Manzanera delivered a medley of signature Roxy Music pieces and a heartfelt rendition of “Magdalena,” written in honor of his mother. He closed the evening with a climactic interpretation of the title track from his debut solo album, Diamond Head.
By the close, the audience had experienced both an oral history and a vivid reminder of the guitarist’s enduring power and influence.
Watch a complete video of the event: