Da who are Jan Manual and Chariz Solomon?

Curtain-raisers:

? Best wishes to Happy Ongpauco and Dexter Tiu who are getting married at 3 o’clock in the afternoon on Dec. 4 at the Tirtha Luhur Chapel, Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia. According to the invitation, aperitivo will be served two hours later at the poolside, followed by the reception at the Sangkar Ballroom of Bulgari Resort, also in Bali.

? From Funfare’s “social-climber” DPA (names of celebrities mentioned are changed to protect the privacy that they themselves don’t at all exert effort to protect): On Oct. 20, my daughter and I were invited by Manila Philippines to a dinner at Shang Palace of EDSA Shangri-La. We were shocked to see that Karachi Russia was also there with two girls, one of them the wardrobe stylist who is the mutual friend of Manila and Karachi. Panay ang halik ni Karachi kay Manila who was busy with his Blackberry na terno sa Blackberry din ni Karachi. Huwag mag-deny! Huling-huli ko kayo!

? Could it be true that a sexy starlet had a “nightcap” at a five-star hotel with a hugely popular American basketball player who was here for a visit not too long ago? What an “unlikely” pairing! You see, she’s almost half his size. But then, don’t things perfectly fit if the situation calls for it?

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Ask Jan Manual and Chariz Solomon who the subjects of their Da Who blind items on Startalk are and, like you and me, they are also, well, clueless.

“Hinuhulaan din namin,” said Chariz.

“We are just reading the cue cards,” said Jan who puts on his own mustache and beard before the show.

Here’s a clue: Like the blind item above, the names of the stars on the spot are changed, done in reverse (surname first). Check out the first letters of the first name and surname and start guessing.

Featured “live” starting four episodes ago, the StarStruck 4 (big winner was Aljur Abrenica) graduates definitely add spice to the show. That segment has to be handled with a touch of humor, so it helps that Jan and Chariz are gifted with comedic talent.

“I started mimicking Manny Pacquiao and it stuck,” said Jan who has to speak with a quaint Visayan accent. “Talagang pinag-aralan ko ang pagsasalita at mannerisms ni Manny. Idol ko talaga s’ya, eh!”

It’s easy for Jan because he’s an Ilonggo. A Capricornian (Jan. 13), Jan is a native of Iloilo where his parents come from. He’s an only child and he still lives with his family in San Pedro, Laguna.

“I will buy a car as soon as I save enough for the down payment.”

On the other hand, Chariz is being likened to Giselle Sanchez whom she doesn’t only resemble but “sounds alike” as well.

“I’m flattered to be compared to Giselle,” said Chariz. “Bilib naman ako talaga sa kanya. She’s a good singer and comedienne. Magaling talaga s’ya. At mabait pa. She always kisses me when we see each other.”

Her full name is Charyce Solomon Pagotan and she traces her roots to Ormoc, Leyte.

“I’m sure you understand why I’m using my mom’s surname. Hindi cinematic ang dating ng surname ng Tatay ko, di ba?” she laughed as if the joke was on her. “My name was originally spelled C-h-a-r-y-z-e but when I joined StarStruck they changed it to Chariz para daw madaling isulat sa voting.”

Chariz landed only on the Top 20 but felt like a winner when she got guesting stints in Bubble Gang and other GMA shows, until she ended up in Startalk.

Before showbiz, Chariz did ramp modelling. Her studies (B.S. Tourism, going on her second year) is “on hold.”

“Chariz and I rehearse our lines before the show. Dapat maganda ang blending namin.”

In fact, they blend so well that Startalk followers think Chariz and Jan are an “item.”

“Friends lang kami ni Jan. We’re like brother and sister. I did have a boyfriend who’s Chinese mestizo but we already broke up after going steady for three years. Now, ayoko na muna; trabaho muna.”

Concert party at PICC for Earth, Wind & Fire fans

Ready for the Earth, Wind & Fire “concert party” at the PICC on Dec. 5, starting at 8 p.m.?

The group is best known for disco hits that made their music a staple for parties, so expect the audience not just to sit there listening to the EWF sound but for sure dancing to it as well.

The concert party will feature the original members of the group that popularized some of the best known dance songs, such as September, Boogie Wonderland, Fantasy and Let’s Groove. These tracks and many others provided disco houses in the ‘70s and ‘80s a great playlist to dance to and have become retro-hits today’s generation of party-goers can easily relate to.

EWF single-handedly introduced sophisticated funk and African folk rhythms to American pop culture and beyond. The group has so far won 10 Grammys and four American Music Awards, and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame for having sold over 90 million albums worldwide and ranked as “The seventh best-selling American band of all time.”

The EWF guys are also known for scoring some of the most-admired love songs, including sentimental favorites like Reasons, After The Love Has Gone and Every Now and Then.

(Note: The Original Earth, Wind & Fire Live in Manila is produced by Lifestyle 7 an d Offshore Entertainment Production. Ticket prices are P8,000 for VIP, P6,000 for Patron and P2,500 for Balcony. Call Ticketworld outlets at 891-9999.)

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