Five days of magic wow audiences in Havana

A woman disappears before everyone’s eyes; paper butterflies flutter on the stage... the astonished Cuban audience erupts in delirious applause.

It is the MagiCuba 2018 Festival. The event, the first of its kind in Cuba, gathered 40 of the world’s top magicians from November 7 to 11 in Havana.

Theaters, cabarets and even public squares have served as stages for Cuban and foreign magicians, “giving a new spirit to a city marking its five centuries of life,” Sebastian Alfonso, one of the spectators, told the Xinhua News Agency.

Alfonso, a Havana resident in his 60s, said that he had been passionate about magic since he was a child, but only knows a couple of tricks to entertain his grandchildren.

Among the foreign magicians, almost all men, stands out Jade, a beautiful woman born in Indonesia to Chinese parents.

Jade, whose real name is Chen Bixin, presented a show that mixed traditional Chinese music with the use of implements such as umbrellas and scarves to achieve exquisite illusions.

The artist, on her first trip to the Caribbean island, said she was impressed with the warmth of the Cubans, describing them as a “devoted and affectionate audience.”

“If another festival like this is organized in the coming years, I want to participate again,” she said.

Jade highlighted the skill of the magicians on the island and expressed her admiration for their high commitment to the art.

The magician praised Roger Ruiz, leader of the Cuban company “RuizMagia,” who maintains a glamorous show throughout the year in the famed resort of Varadero.

“The tricks that the magician Roger does are phenomenal,” said Jade.

Ruiz, a young man who is no more than 30 years old, said the festival is just wonderful.

“All the magicians that we have here are great stars of the world magic and they have contributed a lot to us,” said Ruiz, who presented a show in which he and a lady suddenly vanished before the audience.

Two of the most recognized participants of the magic festival are Jorge Blass from Spain and the magician-comedian Mac King, a famous US artist from Las Vegas.

The event was organized by the Rose Marketing Agency, together with the island state’s National Council of the Performing Arts.