Pinoy musician killed in longboarding accident in UAE

AL AIN, United Arab Emirates – A Filipino musician was killed here following a longboarding accident on December 20.

John "Joms" Magno's death was announced on Facebook by his bandmate and fellow OFW John Mark "Kram" Cruz. The two played in the band Up the Ante, where Magno was the bassist.

"The incident happened at the Mushrif Park last December 20," shared Cruz in a text message.

Before joining Up the Ante, Magno was the drummer of Amerie and guitarist of Avian Limit in the Philippines. At the UAE, he worked as a graphic designer of the CPI Media Group, a Dubai-based publication.

Cruz said Magno had been a skateboarding enthusiast since high school. He just shifted to longboarding five months ago.

"Joms was the most creative in the band," Cruz said. "He has displayed exceptional intellectual ability when it comes to the arrangement of our original songs."

Cruz also described his fallen bandmate as "a genius when it comes to music and any forms of art."

"He's the comedian who would make us all laugh," he said.

A memorial gathering for Magno was held last December 21 at the Suba Hotel in Al Rigga, Deira. —KBK, GMA News

Photo from Up the Ante's Facebook page