MANILA TO SYDNEY:
CHICO CRISTOBAL’S ART
CROSS COMPETING
ATHLETES
MEET THE X
B&W (on dark background)
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 02 2017
AND SAY HELLO TO THE FUTURE
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PUBLISHER
STYLE EDITOR
SENIOR DESIGNER JUNIOR DESIGNERS
RONA CRUZ-FIELD SLEEKGEEK MEDIA, INC. REZA AZNAR UZZIEL VISMANOS ROMMEL REBUCAN MJ VALENCIA
CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER PHOTOGRAPHERS
ARI SIMANGAN KIMMETH NICOLAS DJ MAGBANUA ROJ MIGUEL
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
ROEMART TAMAYO JEFFREY G. GALLARDO
STYLISTS
TYRONE SEE CARLO EVARISTO RICCI CALZADO NAF CANDELARIA CLARISSE LANSANG
HMUA
SUSAN TOLENTINO-ANG HERNAN MANUNTAG SORIANO CHARMAINE SORIANO JOAN TOETICO RAYMUND DEFEO ANGELA BAUTISTA
PRODUCTION TEAM
JOSHUA HABANA CIRILLO SOLANA ISIDORO VALLE
SALES & MARKETING
CLARISSE LACANLALE PAULINE REYES JUSTIN MATA
SENIOR INTERNS
about this issue
LENARD PO LLOYD LIM
Thanks for grabbing your copy of Popsicle Magazine! Once again, we’re bringing you the finest ladies, freshest features and a whole lot of entertainment. On our Fashion X Passion issue, we have Miss Danielle Castaño on the cover. A beauty queen, athlete and entrepreneur, she shows us who “The New Danielle” is Beyond the Glitz and Glamour. We have the fearless Natalia Moon gracing our pages with her beautiful face matched by her very interesting personality. An international DJ and producer, Natalia hails from Australia but now has a full-time career in Manila. We’re introducing Chico Cristobal, an up and coming, actually already in-demand, painter/artist based in Sydney. Find out more about him and how he defines his art in our “Artist of the Month” page. Hiphop represent! Syke is a legendary Filipino emcee who has been in the hiphop industry for over 20 years and counting. We’re going down memory lane as we share his journey and how he maintained career success over the years. We’re also reviewing his most recent album release, RipRap. Finally, allow us to nurse your McGregor-Mayweather hangover with an article about Cross Competing Athletes ranging from Michael Jordan to our very own Manny Pacquiao. Make sure to check on updates, giveaways and so much more by following us on our social media pages. Just a reminder, we have an iOS app, just search for the PopsicleApp for more free features! Again, all copies of Popsicle Magazine are free now and free forever! Cheers!
contents
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CHILL SLEEKGEEK MEDIA, INC.
Yssa Quintero
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MANILA TO SYDNEY
Chico Cristobal
3rd Floor 170 F. Blumentritt Street, Corner Gen. San Luis Street, San Juan City 1500, Philippines GLITZ & GLAMOUR
DANIELLE
Fashion Passion
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MANILA TO SYDNEY:
CHICO CRISTOBAL’S ART
(+632) 470-7155 local 330 sleekgeekmedia@popsiclemag.com.ph
CROSS COMPETING
ATHLETES
MEET THE X
AND SAY HELLO TO THE FUTURE
ONLINE PRESENCE POPSICLEMAG.COM.PH /popsiclemagph @popsiclemagph @popsiclemag_ph
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RIPRAP Syke
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2 2017
GLITZ & GLAMOUR Danielle Castaño
ON THE COVER D A N I E L L E C A S TA Ñ O PHOTOGRAPHED BY KIMMETH NICOLAS EXCLUSIVELY FOR POPSICLE MAGAZINE 2017
OFFICIAL PRINTER
POPSICLE MAGAZINE is a free publication produced by SleekGeek Media, Incorporated. The publisher accepts no responsibility for any unsolicited manuscripts, illustrations or photographs. No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or stored in any retrieval system and/or by any other means, electronical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed or implied in the publication do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Although every effort and care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information contained in the publication, neither the publisher nor the employees of SleekGeek Media Inc. can be held liable for any errors or omissions from any consequences or reliance on this publication.
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CHASING THE DREAM Natalia Moon
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YSSA QUINTERO
CHILL 6
PHOTOGRAPHER ROJ MIGUEL HMUA ANGELA BAUTISTA STYLIST NAF CANDELARIA
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NAUGHTY
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NICE
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ADVENTURE BRAND LOWE ALPINE SILVERMARK NOW IN THE PHILIPPINES
One of the most popular outdoor adventure brands in Europe and the
Lowe Alpine opened its first store in the U.S.A. in 1967. It’s first product,
U.S. is now available in the Philippines!
“The Expedition Pack”, was designed by founder and mountaineering
Lowe Alpine Silvermark recently opened its very first store in the country
enthusiast Greg Lowe out of necessity; he wanted a pack that can carry
to provide well-thought athleisure gear to Filipino adventurers who seek
all his climbing equipment securely while still being able to move freely
quality and style at affordable prices.
through challenging terrain. From its first store in Colorado, the Lowe Alpine brand is now an
The very first Lowe Alpine Silvermark concept store is located at the 3L
international company based in the Lake District in North West England.
Mega Fashion Hall. The brand features full range of athleisure products
Lowe Alpine even set the standard for mountaineering bags, with
including jackets, vests, t-shirts, and pants. Aside from Silvermark
“The Expedition Pack” becoming the blueprint for all modern, rugged
items, the concept store will also feature Lowe Alpine’s world-renowned
backpacks.
collection of outdoor bags.
www.lowealpine.com Silvermark is well-known in a number of territories in Asia, having
www.lowealpinesilver.com
branches in Hong Kong, Macau, China, Taiwan and Japan. With the entry
LoweAlpineSilvermarkPH
of Lowe Alpine Silvermark in the Philippine market, the brand solidifies
LoweAlpineSilvermarkPH
itself as one of the best adventure brands in Asia.
VECTOR 18 18lt | 40 x 26 x 23cm | 0.52kg
Move straight from the office to the hills with Vector. Minimalist design with tough 300-deneir Nailhead fabrics, the Vector 18 rucksack features a large front opening space, easy access zip entry and stretch mesh side pockets perfect to hold all the gear you’ll need for a day in the city or in the mountains.
FOLLOW OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR PROMO MECHANICS
facebook.com/PopsicleMag ISSUE 2 • POPSICLE MAGAZINE
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ARTIST OF THE MONTH
FROM MANILA TO SYDNEY: CHICO CRISTOBAL’S ART “The dream is to be able to share my art all over the world and be recognized doing what I love to create. I want to help young kids in the Philippines and Australia bring out their creativity as I share my passion with them.” Sydney-based Filipino artist Chico Cristobal is taking the industry by storm. He defines his art as Geometric Abstract contemporary art style with lines, shapes and color prominent in each piece. Balance and proportion is what he considers most important when creating art and finding the best color scheme to use is the most challenging. His favorite artworks include his paintings in the Circompass and Circulation series. Most of these pieces are colorful, vibrant and inspired by floral
Check out Chico Cristobal’s work at www.chicocristobal.com
arrangements and medleys. He shares, “The colors
You may also follow him on Instagram @cristobal_art
are very vibrant and positive. This is the type of work I
or on his Facebook page: www.facebook.com/cristobalart22
love doing because it gives a very positive vibe when
to see updates or to get quotes should you wish to grab
viewed. That’s the message I always want to spread
some of his art pieces.
when I create art.” Considering that he started painting fairly recently when he moved to Sydney in 2014, his success came quickly mainly because of his talent. It was through social media that he was able to share and sell most of his work. Thanks to the support of his family and friends, he continues to be inspired in pursuing this career. A part-time Design Consultant in an upholstery fabric showroom in Sydney and working alongside architects and interior designers, Chico Cristobal still manages to give much of his time for his art. Majority of his work are on canvas with oil and acrylic paint. He plans on using wood boards soon for variety and on paper with watercolor. We won’t be surprised if the international scene sees more of Chico Cristobal soon. Just in February of this year, four of his art pieces became part of a group show in a Florence, Italy art gallery. The feeling of pride and excitement is still fresh in his mind, “Just by being invited to be part of the show there was unreal because I never imagined that I will be sharing my art in the Art Capital of the World.” On being an artist in a foreign country, Chico Cristobal shares, “I still have to slowly work my way and be more active in the Sydney art scene and join art groups. But It’s a process and I know I will reach that point and be part of the community and be able to share my Art. Joining prestigious art contests in Australia is what I’ve been eyeing at this stage in my career to introduce myself and let them know what I can create using my Art style.” 16
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circompass series These random circular objects are assembled like puzzle pieces to provide a big picture of our spiritual view of nature. We open our awareness to take in the expansiveness of the cycles of time, life and nature. It implies an idea of movement and represents the notions of totality and wholeness. Moving through the cycles of our lives, there is strangeness hidden in the familiar and at the same time there is familiarity hidden in the strange. The Intersecting circles represent unity and harmony and on the other hand offer safety and protection thus the confinement of colours within. ISSUE 2 • POPSICLE MAGAZINE
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MUSICAL ARTIST
S
yke may be a full-time Filipino emcee with gigs happening left and right, but he is also kept busy by numerous other projects—he is also a spoken word artist, photographer, director, cinematographer, and a bike enthusiast. Though many different accounts have been written over the years, the main man himself shared that his career officially started in 1995, at a time when radio ruled the music scene. He called in to a radio show and joined a battle rap contest. Yes, a battle rap contest in the Philippines before FlipTop was even a thing. He went on to win back-to-back for days then weeks until he managed to make a “real career” out of rapping. His very first album, the self-titled Syke, was released in 1999 under Vibestation Entertainment and released by BMG Records.
Syke remained present in the Pinoy hip hop scene through the years. The lyrics found in his collaboration track “Tanyag” from Loonie’s Ultrasound album may have answered questions regarding his rather controversial absence for a while: “Ilang beses pinagtangkaang matanggal sa pagtanghal, ako’y nagtagal at nanatili sa pinaglagyan kong kayo mismo pumili kaya nawili, at ‘di nawala akala niyo lang kaya parang muling nagbalik.” It has been proven that his music had a huge impact in the industry, and so his absence was immensely felt. And for those who take pride in their ignorance, his lyrics from the same track hits them back hard, “Ipapa-mukha mo pa ba sa akin kung bakit di ako sumikat? Pa-umaga pa lang ngayon, dis-oras ng gabi ako lumabas.” Despite releasing only two albums over his 2 decade-strong career, his music continued to be heard. He collaborated with too-many-to-count artists over the years, and one of his favorite collaborations is called “Balak ni Syke”. The first track in Gloc 9’s MKNM (Mga Kwento Ng Makata) album, it popularized the old (but still gold) line, “Kung may alak, may balak.” 18
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ALBUM REVIEW Most of the songs in RipRap are under 4 minutes. We have to admit—songs that are way too long can get boring especially when a rapper spits way too many bars in one track just to prolong it. Quality over quantity. We’d rather get a “short but full” track rather than a “long but empty” one. The fact that this EP only has 6 songs can be both good and bad. Syke fans must have been thrilled that he finally released a new album after close to 20 years only to find out it only had 6 tracks. However, once again, we want to emphasize on quality over quantity. And by the way, Syke hinted us with a new album possibly coming out this year. RipRap is definitely a high quality album that showcased Syke’s excellent lyricism that remains unmatched after all these years. There’s the old school vibe that will make you bop your head to the beat but enough “modern” feel that will make even the younger hip hop fans enjoy his music. Syke is well known for his exceptional Filipino writing skills when it comes to his music. This album is a perfect example of that as his talent in writing lyrics in the native language was more than evident. Syke is also fluent in Cebuano, which explains the lyrics we wished we understood better in Gasgas. While collaborations are good, many hip hop artists of today have full length albums made up of tracks that have featured artists. That can be a great marketing booster especially if you’re after sales and intense popularity. However, in many cases, we’ve seen artists getting overthrown or even overpowered because way too many artists are taking over the album. If that’s the case, then why not make it a compilation album instead of a solo album? Well, if you’re a fan of Syke, you will enjoy this album because it is Syke. He still featured few artists including his Vibestation batchmate and also legendary emcee Dash Calzado, Flying Ipis’ Deng Garcia and former beauty queen Imee Schweighart, but ultimately we’re still hearing Syke. And that’s what we love most about it. RipRap is Syke’s second solo album and was officially released in 2015 with very limited hard copies. It was only made available in Spotify this year. Aside from Spotify, you can listen to RipRap on iTunes and Deezer. The album was released by Locked Down Entertainment and produced by Squid9. If you want a hard copy of the album, feel free to message the Locked Down Entertainment page on Facebook. For Filipino hip hop fans, RipRap was worth the wait. If you haven’t listened to it yet, you better check it out. It is best enjoyed with your noise-cancelling headphones on for you to experience the exceptional music genius that is Syke.
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T
he recent Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather fight featured a dream matchup between the best fighters of MMA and boxing respectively. The hyped match started with the MMA kingpin showing in the first few rounds that he has what it takes to put the first L in the boxing royalty’s record. But by the time the fourth round came, Mayweather seemed more aggressive and in control after absorbing the offensive attack of McGregor. In the ninth round, McGregor’s vigor started to wane down while Mayweather seems to be in cruise control. Money’s attack continued in the tenth round until the third man in the ring stopped the fight due to the unanswered blows. Floyd Mayweather got his 50th win and surpassed Rocky Marciano’s record of 49-0. Conor McGregor suffered a loss in his first and probably last boxing match. Many analysts were quick to notice that McGregor seemed to have exhausted his energy in the early rounds that made him vulnerable to the blows of Mayweather. The boxer’s experience and discipline proved too much to handle. But kudos to the MMA fighter for his valiant effort inside the ring and especially entertaining the fight fans during the promotion of the multi-million dollar fight. McGregor could very well be in the record books as the recipient of the biggest paycheck for a boxing professional debut. Not bad, Mr. McGregor! The MayMac fight is not the first cross combat spectacle. Many boxers have tried to transition into MMA with mixed results. The fight between boxer Muhammad Ali and wrestler Antonio Inoki held at the Nippon Budokan arena in Tokyo on June 26, 1976 is said to be the beginning of the mixed martial arts concept. The fight was viewed by others to be an exhibition match rather than an actual fight because of the alleged special rules to favor Ali. James “Lights Out” Toney is probably the biggest name to try his luck with MMA with the modern rules already in place. Toney was outclassed and outmatched by an equally ageing Randy Couture.
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The Couture vs. Toney matchup was not the ideal showcase fight since both are not on the prime of their careers. Holy Holm’s UFC gold on the other hand proved that a boxer could find success in MMA. Her success opened the gates for boxers to try their luck in MMA especially with the increase in popularity of MMA and the slight decrease in interest for boxing. The wrestling community has its fair share of triumphant stories as can be told from the storied careers of Matt Hughes and Dan Henderson. Cross sports competing is not exclusive to contact sports. Many great athletes have competed in several sports while in college or even professionally. Among those who have tried their luck with another sport is Michael Jordan, considered as the greatest basketball player of all time. Jordan during his first hiatus from basketball played for a minor league baseball team. Obviously, MJ’s success in the baseball field is not at par with what he has done in the basketball court. He may be Air Jordan while playing hoops but he was just average Michael Jeffrey Jordan when he donned the baseball uniform. Interestingly, Tim Tebow a former NFL star is now playing for a minor league baseball team. Danny Ainge, the current general manager of the Boston Celtics, had a better cross-competition scorecard compared to MJ. DA was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays and played baseball until he was drafted by the Celtics in the 1981 draft. There’s also NBA MVP and recent finals MVP Kevin Durant started as a football player at his middle school team until future NFL linebacker NaVorro Bowman convinced him to play basketball instead. Allen Iverson was also a star quarterback for his high school football team while also part of the basketball varsity team. In the history of the Olympics there were several athletes who have won medals in two different sports. Cross competing started as early as the 1896 Athens Olympics. Viggo Jensen won one gold medal and one silver medal for weightlifting while also bagging a bronze medal for the free rifle event. In that same Olympics, Carl Schuhmann
took home three gold medals in gymnastics and one gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling. Some Filipino athletes also had cross competition experiences. Bea Lucero had success in both Taekwondo and gymnastics. Lucero won two gold and three silver medals during the 1987 Southeast Asian Games for Taekwondo but failed to be part of the Taekwondo delegation for the 1988 Seoul Olympics due to her age. She instead became part of the gymnastics team for the same summer Olympics. Lucero eventually won a bronze medal in the featherweight division in taekwondo in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Not be outdone, eightdivision boxing great Manny Pacquiao used to be a playing coach for a Philippine Basketball Association team.
BEA LUCERO
VIGGO JENSEN
As the sports world is continually evolving, we are witnessing the emergence of multi-discipline athletes. We are in the generation wherein we will be seeing young kids training for several sports and athletes taking time off from their usual sport for the chance to excel in other sports. The questions that are to be answered in the years to come are: Will we see Michael Phelps/Leo Messi/Usain Bolt and other athletes dominating the Olympics and professional leagues cross competing? Will we see a pound-for-pound best athletes list in the near future? Will we see another MMA fighter challenging a professional boxer like Nate Diaz vs. Manny Pacquiao or Stipe Miocic vs. Anthony Joshua?
JEFFREY G. GALLARDO
FEATURED GADGET
and say hello to the future
meet the
S
omething that’s nice to have; but is it really a must-have? Apple has
There’s more reason to get excited once you get your hands on the
once again taken the world by storm with its upcoming release, the
iPhone X. The TrueDepth Camera is said to be Apple’s most sophisticated
iPhone X. With a price tag that starts at 999 USD, it may be one
technology development. This camera promises more security for your
of the most expensive phones of today. It definitely created such a loud
phone because your face is now your password through FaceID. So if you
buzz—too loud that nobody is even paying attention to the iPhone 8, which
used to borrow your partner’s finger while he/she’s asleep to snoop on
will be released around the same time. And hey, are people even noticing
his/her phone, you probably have to scrape off his/her face now. There’s
that there isn’t even an iPhone 9 yet?
word that this feature will make it harder for some especially those who grow beards every now and then, or those who put on weight easily. Apple
The Philippine market may have to wait for now as the time of release for
understands that people change, and hindering personal change such as
the iPhone X in the country hasn’t been officially announced yet. However,
one’s physical appearance just for a phone’s privacy feature is #notcool.
it is already available for pre-order in a few other countries and will be
Along with the Face ID feature is the Adaptive Recognition feature. Apple
delivered by the end of October.
describes it as a “machine learning (that) lets Face ID adapt to physical changes in your appearance over time.” So thank you, Apple!
Pricey? Yes. But is it worth it? Definitely! There are more than just a few people, possibly including you,
The coolness of the TrueDepth Camera doesn’t end
who have spent way more than Php50K for previous
there. You can now take Portrait Mode Selfies with
releases of smartphones; and by the looks of it, the
Portrait Lighting. Photography is simplified with the
iPhone X is way better compared to any other iPhone
dual 12MP cameras of the iPhone X. With such great
ever released to the public.
cameras packed into one cool gadget like this, you can get professional quality shots straight from your
Sleek and super stylish, the iPhone X is all screen. The
iPhone. And by the way, Apple even introduces the
home button that has been changed time and again
new Animoji feature. Be a panda, cat or even a robot
across different iPhone models is now gone. The
as the TrueDepth camera can analyze your facial
iPhone X boasts of a Super Retina display. Feast your
muscle movements and imitate your expressions.
eyes on an all-new 5.8-inch screen—the first OLED screen found in an iPhone, this model has incredibly
It is also very worthy to mention the superhuman
stunning and vibrant colors, high brightness, true
intelligence offered by the iPhone X. With the A11
blacks and a very impressive 1,000,000:1 contrast
Bionic neural engine, you will have the most powerful
ratio.
and smartest mobile phone right on the palm of your hand. How fast can it go? 600 billion operations per
You asked for a durable iPhone? You got it! The new
second!
design of the iPhone X promises the “most durable glass ever in a smartphone” on its front and back. The
It surely is time to tighten belts, settle for 3-in-1’s
body is made of surgical-grade stainless steel; it is
rather than overpriced coffee cups, and break the
also water and dust-resistant. Oh, it has a wireless
piggy bank—there’s no way you should miss out on the
charging feature, too!
iPhone X! Image courtesy: www.apple.com
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behind the
GLITZ GLAMOUR “It is good to focus on one thing. I believe that concentration is the key to achieving big things in life. Stay focused on the same goals you want to accomplish.”
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the new
DA N I E L L E
behind the
GLITZ & GLAMOUR
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www.popsiclemag.com.ph
CHASING THE DREAM
S
he likes spending her not-so-quiet moments within the confines of her home studio as she skillfully creates her own music and song remixes with her Abelton. Music is what brought her to fame. Years from the first time she set foot in Manila, she has achieved a whole lot and is practically living the dream! You may have seen her on the Internet, on TV or even in the club — Natalia Moon is definitely that girl you can easily spot in a crowd. Talented, outgoing and a self-confessed chatterbox, this down-to-earth model whose face commonly appears in local magazine pages and covers was born and raised in Brisbane, Australia. She currently keeps busy with her music, filming a new TV show she will be starring in and being an international DJ. Her flexibility and balance are maintained through hot yoga and she stays strong with Muay Thai. After visiting the Philippines a few times to spend the holidays, she fell in love with the country, our culture, and of course, the beautiful beaches. She decided to permanently settle in Manila around 2012 to 2013.
NATALIA MOON
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/popsiclemagph
@popsiclemagph
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