Art is a multifaceted, diverse field of creativity. We are all familiar with the popular art forms around us; music, painting, drawing, writing, and even photography. But how about…magic? It may not have the popularity of its counterparts but it’s just as – or even more – entertaining. And one of the key representatives of the dazzling art that is magic is the young wizard we would be interviewing today. Keep reading to know more about him!
49th Street: Can you introduce yourself to our audience?
IBUthemagician: Hiiiiii, My name is Ibu Favour Ahinyohe, and I go by the stage name IBUthemagician. I’m a music and movies freak, I could spend all day watching romcoms on Netflix. I also love reading poetry and witty write-ups. Most importantly, I am an art enthusiast; I love all forms of visual and performing art.
49th Street: How did you develop an interest in magic?
IBUthemagician: Well, it all started four years ago at a house party. After playing all the games we could think of with the Whot cards, we were all bored and I decided to show my friends one easy card trick I knew from childhood. The reactions I got were so pure and emotional, it was amazing. I had never seen my friends react to anything like that before. All of a sudden, I became the life of the party. On my way home the next morning, I got a deck of cards and googled easy card tricks. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked.
49th Street: How would you define magic? What is magic to you?
IBUthemagician: I usually say “magic is the art of creating illusions for the purpose of entertaining people”. People always ask if I do magic or tricks and I always tell them both… I do magic tricks. I obviously didn’t sell my soul to the devil or something else to be able to do what I do, I just create illusions and tricks and my audience makes it magic. What’s magical is the experience I create for my audiences that makes them feel genuinely happy, opens up their imagination and gives them an unforgettable experience where they believe that anything is possible. Y’all are the magic to my tricks. I don’t know if that makes any sense.
49th Street: Who are your biggest influences in this unique art form?
IBUthemagician: Uhmm, well… The biggest influence on my style of magic is an American magician, “Wes Barker.” But I’m also influenced by David Blaine, Dynamo, Professor Peller, e.t.c
49th Street: What are some of the craziest things you’ve heard people say about your performances?
IBUthemagician: Well, over the years, I’ve gotten a lot of crazy assumptions about how I achieve my illusions, but the most recurrent is that I use Jazz or Juju. I like to have fun with my audiences whenever they say that by telling them I sold my soul to devil, just to see if they’d actually believe me! But I always tell them in the end that its just tricks and illusions. Someone once brought out a bible to threaten me, so since then I’ve been telling the truth.
49th Street: What are your biggest achievements and proudest moments in your career thus far?
IBUthemagician: Well, I’ve been able to organise and headline three magic shows so far and the first one, “IBU’s Prestige” is still what I’m most proud of because I not only headlined the event, but I also handled all of the organization aspects of the event and it ran smoothly. Meeting Korty and appearing on her channel is also one of my proudest moments too. Although I’ve met bigger celebrities since, she’s still my fave.
Being able to kick-start a culture in the OAU space that actually appreciate magic as an art form is a huuuge achievement to me and I hope to expand my magic loving community to Lagos, Nigeria, and hopefully the whole of Africa.
49th Street: What are you plans for your art in the next five years?
IBUthemagician: Well, I’m not planning on hosting another magic show for a while. Right now, I’m focusing on getting my brand into the right conversations, staying booked and busy, and perfecting my routines. Maybe later in the year, I’d host or headline more shows in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria. I want to one day have a university tour, where I put on magic shows in as many schools in Nigeria. I really want to get magic to a place in Nigeria, and Africa as a whole, where it is appreciated as an art form.
49th Street: Do you think the art of magic can one day become big and more appreciated in Nigeria?
IBUthemagician: Yesss!!! Of course. Magic is the purest form of entertainment. The feeling you get from a magic trick is priceless. It’s like a reaction of joy, fear, excitement and surprise. I strongly believe that with a lot of work, we can get magic to a place where its accepted and Magicians are not seen as Juju men or Herbalists, but are actually respected and appreciated as artists. I’d love to build a magic loving community here, before I leave for the other parts of the world.
49th Street: Outside of magic, do you have interests in any other art forms?
IBUthemagician: Yes. Before I started magic, I was a poet, a spoken word poet. I’m also a film maker; I make short films and music videos, among other types of films, for my clients and friends. I’m mostly doing magic to one day fund myself through film school.
49th Street: Do you have any advice for other magicians or people that want to go into magic?
IBUthemagician: Yesss and my only advice is just do it!! Magic is a lot of fun and it goes deeper than “fooling people”. It helps you think more critically and see things in new ways and angles. You’d soon see yourself applying concepts from magic to solve your everyday problems. It’s an art form that combines so many skills and it’s amazing. And there is a growing community of magicians in Nigeria that’d love to help you grow and support you in so many ways. Just do it. Start by learning a simple card trick, you’d be surprised how far you’d go with it.
