Comic relief

No Wands, No Cloaks, Just Magic

Fahmim Ferdous

IF you usually go to unplugged concerts, or chill with your friends at lounges, then there's a good chance you've met a spectacled guy with a wily smile on his face and a deck of cards in his hands. Fahd Kabir who practices street magic just celebrated his 50th show on 30th July at the Season Finale of Wireless Sessions 4. It's been an eventful journey, from casual afternoons at Goethé Institut's rooftop café to corporate evenings at Sheraton; he says he enjoys performing for the young people more, as they probably are more vibrant, relaxed and open in expressing their awe. His recent addition to the line-up of 'The Wireless Sessions' has been quite a success, says organizer Nafis Tahsin Ahmed Shubho. He believes Fahd has been the refreshing factor of his shows. Magic, Fahd says, is an all-age, all-personality entertainment, and that's what makes it such an involving profession. He believes that the most important part while at a show is to understand the audience and blend in with them. Quite usually, at every other occasion a troublesome audience would try to peek into the tricks. Fahd says they are better dealt with a slight dose of humour. When asked whether it's easy to grab the attention of the opposite sex with magic, he syas, “It's a charming way of fooling people.''

As Fahd reminisces through his experience, he picks his Sheraton show and his Le Saigon show to be his most memorable, chiefly because they were grand occasions, and big shots from the music industry and the corporate were there. The Wireless Sessions has given him the busiest month of his career, the five Thursdays of July. An engineering student at AIUB, Fahd dreams of reviving the dying trend of magic. “In every other house, there's someone learning a guitar today. I want something similar for magic to happen. I want to encourage and inspire more people to really learn magic, not just by searching google and you tube, learning a few tricks, but to passionately know about the history and biographies of magicians, and to practice and develop tricks of their own. More platforms are being created for magicians, and someone has to set the spark for a fire to blaze.

On completion of half a hundred shows, Fahd thanks all his friends his family, and his manager Sharf Ahmed Saadh, Live-Square Event Organizers, and everyone who has been amazed by his tricks for their love, support and applauses. “It's the immense satisfaction of seeing the gaping mouths and awestruck faces that keeps me going”, he says.