Inspiration
with Playboy Africa January 2022 cover star Luisito Comunica / @luisitocomunica
Model Jacqueline Mosa / @mjv.oxo
Photography by Nailah Barcelona / @nailahbarcelona
Producer & Creative direction / Talent placement
Stylist Emily Alvarez / @emily.alvrez
Hair Zayra Rayo / @zayrarayo
Makeup Noemi Gizman / @makeupartistnoemi
Location Burgerrock Studios @burgerrockstudios
As a travel vlogger, have you ever visited South Africa? I’ve never been to South Africa, but it’s still definitely on my bucket list. I’ve been to some countries in Africa that have amazed me. I’ve traveled to South Sudan, Kenya, and Tanzania. The African culture is fascinating, especially how proud they are of what tribe they come from, and they respect it. The fact some indigenous tribes are super alive today is amazing. I had the opportunity to go hunting with bows and arrows with a tribe in Tanzania called Hadzabe. In Kenya, I had a wild experience inside the slums of Kibera, which is the largest slum in Africa. It was very shocking to see all the contrasts of Kenya with millions of people living inside these slums and others living in mansions. I have also visited Zanzibar and it’s more of a tourist paradise site. In Africa, you have these different beliefs and cultural backgrounds that stick together. You have the indigenous tribes, the parts that were conquered by the Christian culture and they have their churches, and then you go further up north, and it becomes Muslim territory.
You own many businesses and have released your own tequila brand recently, Gran Malo. Can you tell us more about these ventures? I’m involved in a tequila brand that is a bad boy and a bad girl type of tequila. It’s not your traditional type of tequila. It’s spicy and flavored with tamarind, which I know that many countries in Africa drink. Gran Malo is perfect to get the party started. It’s easy to have shots of it, in comparison to the regular mouth-burning tequila. Gran Malo translates to “the real bad boy,” and our logo is a devil with an image of the product being red. It’s a fun version of hell. It’s growing really fast in South America, and we’re expanding with a new flavor that is more local. It’s horchata, which is a Mexican drink made from rice and coconuts. Tequila is not the only business I’m involved in. I’m also involved with my own merch, restaurants, and I own my phone and internet carrier as well. With the restaurant businesses, I started with a Japanese restaurant in Mexico City that I really liked. I became friends with the owner and partnered up with him so we could work together. We later developed a new concept that was a modern Japanese ramen house. I am also involved in a Peruvian restaurant. In Latin America, Peruvian cuisine is very refound. Lastly, the newest one that I am involved in is a gastronomic fast-food restaurant that sells burgers but with a gourmet side to it. This restaurant is based on the model of dark kitchens, which is allowing us to grow fast. I’ve always loved the nightlife of going out to parties and having a good time. Now that I am involved with these restaurants, especially the Japanese one that is called Deigo, we have one of the top cocktail bars in Mexico City. Being involved in the tequila and restaurant business, I’m living my teenage dream of working with nightlife.
You modeled with a pair of Trading Looks sunglasses. Which one was your favorite pair? We did a photo where I’m wearing all black and looking at a mirror while the model is putting a necklace on me. I really liked those Day Trader glasses because they had a rockstar look to them. They were the types of sunglasses where it doesn’t matter if you wear them inside or at night at the nightclub, you’ll always achieve a rockstar look with them. I love going out and going to cool places, but my style isn’t really rockstar. My style is simpler, but this photoshoot remade that. It was interesting to see myself with these looks – that rockstar feeling – and it was the real fun part of the Playboy shoot.
One of our collaborators for this photoshoot was Burnt River Farms, a cannabis company.
Do you usually smoke, and what was the experience like working with a company like this for a photoshoot? I am an active marijuana smoker and I’ve always said it very openly. I like people to know that I am pro-legalizing marijuana. For sure when I go to a country that’s not allowed, I’m super respectful. When I am somewhere where it’s acceptable and legal, I am an active smoker. It was so cool that one of the collaborators for this photoshoot was Burnt River Farms. I got to talk to the owner Robin, and she was so cool. I love the fact that entrepreneurs like her are putting the bad image of marijuana behind and talking about how it can be beneficial. She talks with so much passion about her product. The marijuana industry is so complex and there is so much to offer outside of smoking for consumption, but also for making fabrics and other things.
What was it like working with Burgerrock Media for this photoshoot? Do you usually model? I’ve done some magazines, but I’ve never done a shoot like this. Of course, it is Playboy, and I am super excited. Working with Burgerrock Media was the best. They’re so professional and they get the hook-ups for everything. The motorcycle we shot with was one-of-a-kind. It was fun to work with the whole team.
You are the top social media talent/influencer from all of Latin America, which can be pretty conservative, how do you think people will react to you being on a Playboy cover? I would say that it’s quite the opposite actually, especially in Mexico. We’re a super open society in so many ways. Having traveled to many countries and seeing how society thinks in other places, I would say that most of the countries in Latin America are open-minded. I’m sure that people will love this photoshoot. One thing is that they are not expecting this Playboy cover from someone like me who doesn’t portray himself as a rockstar or as a player. I think it’s definitely going to be an interesting reaction. I’ve always liked to cause controversy in people. On top of that, you’re also smoking weed for this photoshoot. How else have you tested the limits? I am quite known for going to places where people usually don’t want to go. I’ve been to some countries and cities that may be in a politically rough status, and I have talked about that. I’ve gone to places that may be in a conflict war status and other places where tragedies have occurred to see how things are going. I would say that is one of the ways I test the limits – by going to places people wouldn’t normally go. For example, one time I traveled to Pakistan. Many Latin American people will say that it’s a country filled with conflict, so I went there, and I showed people that this is overall a pretty peaceful country. People are super nice. Of course, going there, I tried documenting the whole experience so I went to tourist places, but I also went inside a gun factory. It was like looking at the two faces of the same coin, and it was such a unique culture.
Are you open about your sex life, especially since you tend to be in the public eye? I’m not really open about my sex life, but I am open about my dating life. My girlfriend and I are always posting fun and risqué pictures. For sure, I like to show people that I am fun and enjoy sexuality, but at the same time, I am also respectful about it.
How has fame affected your sex or dating life? When you become a famous person, you make your partner’s life public as well, even if they don’t want to. I don’t want to hide my partner either like how some famous people do. Fame has changed the way I look at it because any person who I become involved with will be shown to the public. It is also interesting that you do need to focus on different things when it comes to choosing a life partner. You need to have a person on your side who needs to be understanding of many things, like you both will be of social opinion and in the public eye. It’s something that you will have to tolerate. I love that my girlfriend is a hardworking woman who knows what is important and to not focus on what is being said on social media.
Playboy Magazine is sexy. How do you personally define what sexy is? Sexy for me means to be playful, naughty, but to also be true to yourself. Being sexy doesn’t necessarily mean showing more skin or posing sexually. For me, it means to be free and to make the other person wonder what else is there to see and learn. I find that being smart is super sexy. Having an interesting conversation is sexy. Yes, seeing another physically attractive person is of course nice, but having a nice, fulfilling conversation is way more sensual.
Playboy normally features women on the cover, it is rare a male makes the cover. This means you’re an ultimate “Playboy.” How do you feel about this and how do you consider yourself a Playboy? I feel super honored and quite shocked. I’m quite impressed. I was looking at the list of some males who have made the cover, but there are so few. There’s Hugh Hefner, Donald Trump, Bad Bunny, Jerry Seinfeld – there have been around 15 males on the cover. It’s so flattering, and it’s one of my teenage dreams as well. I was always a Playboy consumer, especially when I was younger. I consider myself a Playboy by always challenging what the rest of society says. You don’t have to be necessarily a Playboy in a sexual way. You can be a Playboy by playing with life and playing with the opportunities that are handed to you. Being a Playboy – a seductive, conversational person – goes way beyond sexuality. A Playboy can also mean how you get involved in your work life and your projects. How brave enough are you to pursue your dreams?
