A Note from Quark Henares, UNO Guest Editor March ’10

Fina-fuckin-lly.

I never purposely meant for it to happen, but I realize that in the past ten years I’ve written for almost every men’s magazine (except ones like Red, but they don’t really count do they?)– Manual circa 2004, then Maxim around 2006; Rogue 2007 and FHM 2008. The only one I haven’t written for is UNO.

Which is a shame, really. Right now, as a male magazine fan, I can say with absolute confidence that UNO is the best men’s mag we have. It’s young, it’s tuned in, it’s beautiful, the writing is exquisite, and it’s got Shawn Yao. Also, and I’m both ashamed and proud to admit this, my best friend Mikey once pointed out that every time he turns a page he knows at least one person featured or involved. Erwin joked that it’s the most expensive barkada newsletter around.

And that’s why it works. Between Jino “call me Juan” Caguicla’s heartwarming photography, Norman Crisologo’s whimsical art direction, Yvette Tan’s cute and colorful fiction, Luis Katigbak’s jovial prose and Ramon de Veyra’s childlike wanderlust, UNO seems more like the work of a hive mind gone insane than a number of individuals. Of course, this is thanks in no small part to the leadership of The Philippines’ answer to Paolo Coelho, Erwin T. Romulo, and his live-in partner RJ Ledesma.

It’s the first time I’m working for UNO, and I’m coming in as the guest editor. O diba, haba ng hair ko (“Right? My hair is so long”), as the bading at my local Sari-Sari store would say.I hope you enjoy what we have in store for you this issue. We’re breaking Kate Torralba’s men’s mag cherry in her piece about Sinulog, we’re featuring my dream office – Big Boy Cheng’s vinyl heaven, Indira Endaya interviews Eddie Campbell. Eddie Campbell, motherfucker! My favorite managing editor Denise Mallabo does an article and some sexy “aaahhhrt” only for this issue, because she’s a hipster that way. Also, Pat Evangelista goes head to head with some of our presidentiables (and vice presidentiables), Clarissa Concio talks car crashes, and Philbert Dy talks Rotterdam. What more could you ask for? Urbandub? We have that too.

I’m looking at this as a test run, because I have to share this issue with Cebu. Having recently fallen in love with the place, however, I must say there is no other Philippine city I’d rather share this issue with. Suffice to say I had an absolute blast, and there is a lot more havoc to wreac. If you are all willing to have me around again, of course.

– Quark Henares

Kings of Convenience Live in Manila

Catch Kings of Convenience with opening act, Jens Lekman, at the NBC Tent on March 31, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are available for P1,950 at the following outlets:

Kate Torralba, 2/F Greenbelt 5, Makati City
Mondays to Sundays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Mag:net High Street, 2/F Cluster B-3, Bonifacio High Street, Taguig
Mondays to Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Route 196, 196-A Katipunan Ave, Blue Ridge A, Quezon City
Mondays to Saturdays, 6 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Changing Lives: Timbaland Presents the Shock Value II Tour

The most anticipated concert of the year just got bigger with the addition of Justin Timberlake and Jojo to the “Changing Lives: Timbaland Presents the Shock Value II Tour.” The benefit concert presented by Smart Buddy at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds on March 27th, 2010 will benefit the PLDT Smart Foundation with all net proceeds donated to the charity.

TIMBALAND l For more than a decade, super-producer Timbaland has dominated the pop charts by producing an endless stream of hits for the likes of Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, 50 Cent and Nelly Furtado. So prolific a hitmaker is he that in the span of a single year – 2006-2007 – the multiple Grammy Award winner produced more than 10 International chart-toppers, including Nelly Furtado’s “Promiscuous,” Timberlake’s Sexy Back, and 50 Cent’s “Ayo Technology”. Timbaland has been hailed by musicians and music critics alike as a sonic auteur in the tradition of such iconic, history-making producers as Brian Eno, Gamble and Huff, and Phil Spector.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE l Justin Timberlake is a singer/songwriter/producer actor and entrepreneur. He has become an accomplished artist who is now widely-considered one of pop culture’s most influential entertainers. Timberlake came to fame as a member of the pop group *NYSNC and through a successful solo career, has gone on to win 6 Grammy Awards, 2 Emmy Awards and dozens of accolades from around the world.

JOJO Joanna l “JoJo” Levesque is an international Recording Artist, Songwriter, and Actress.  She shot to fame with her Multi-Platinum debut album, JoJo.  At the age of thirteen, she was setting records as the youngest Solo artist in U.S. history to have a #1 single and the youngest nominee ever for an MTV Video Music Award – “Best New Artist”.  Her follow up release, The High Road, also garnered JoJo platinum success with its lead single, “Too Little Too Late”, which broke Billboard Magazine’s record for the biggest jump in the history of their charts from #66 to #3 in just one week. JoJo’s acting career includes co-starring with Emma Roberts in the Fox motion picture film, Aquamarine.  JoJo’s follow up film, RV, co-starring Robin Williams and Cheryl Hines debuted at #1 at the Box Office upon its release.

Watch Changing Lives: Timbaland Shock Value II Tour with special guests Justin Timberlake and Jojo on March 27 at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds! Donate at any TicketWorld outlet at P4,500 for VIP Donation tickets, P3,000 for Gold Donation tickets, P1,500 for Silver Donation tickets and P 300 for Bronze Donation tickets plus service charge! Contact TicketWorld at 891-9999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.  For more information, log-on to www.u92.fm.

“Changing Lives featuring Timbaland Shock Value II Tour with Jojo and special guest appearance by Justin Timberlake” is a premiere live concert of U92.  A production of N91LIVE in partnership with All Youth Channels, Inc.

Required reading of John Lloyd Cruz

John Lloyd Cruz for UNO

Ingat

Chari Legarda: Surf’s Up

Although she might not be a Brian Wilson “California Girl,” Chari Legarda is nonetheless a local babe born of our native shores and the Batangas sun. No matter where you are, the eternal summer starts here. Words by Max Eigenmann

Chari Legarda walks into the apartment sporting a baby blue statement tank top. It reads: “Love is Blonde.”

I had to laugh. “Isn’t it supposed to be blind?”

Of course, we didn’t start the interview just yet (there were other things to talk about first). It was only around the time that we had stuffed ourselves with steamed shrimp dumplings and red wine that we segued into talking about the article. Unorthodox, I know… But then again that was when it started to get just a little more fun than usual.

I’ll say this: Chari is probably the only girl I know who can kick a guy’s ass without even trying. Growing up with mostly boys—or girls who were like boys—it was very competitive. “We’d play street hockey until somebody cried. Then the game would be over.” Judging from the way she laughed after she said this, it was obvious that she was never the one who cried after a game. Which most definitely suggests that she was one of those “girls who were like boys.” That would maybe explain how effortlessly she opens a beer bottle using the flat end of a lighter.

As long as I’ve known her she has always been sunburnt. This isn’t surprising. Most of her younger years, if not all, were spent with her very many cousins. “We were each other’s barkada… and our playground would be our grandparents’ compound by the beach in Nasugbu.” She remembers the fishing trips her dad would take her to. She vividly describes her six-year-old self—waddling her legs and arms under water to keep her neck on the surface of the sea to keep breathing. Apparently their fishing boat would capsize and Chari would have to wait patiently for her dad to turn it over because the shore was just way too far a swim. In fact, her first surf story does not include a trainer or any sort of supervision at all. All it took was a board, guts and endless paddling. She refers to that day as beginner’s luck.