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Episode 200! 

To celebrate this milestone, Jonah travelled all the way to Spain to sit down with the maestro himself: Juan Tamariz. 

At four years old, Juan fell in love with magic and knew he had to become a magician. However, becoming a magician wasn’t a viable option back in the day, so he attended film school. While working in the film industry, he performed in the summer; he learned a lot about performing while making very little. Eventually, after a brief stint in advertising, he decided to pursue magic as nothing else would suffice for him. 

Mentors

Slydini. Ascanio. Robert Houdini. Frakson. These are some of the magicians who were his friends and mentors. From teaching him to love his audience to not seeking glory to the fundamentals of magic, Juan learned alongside and was inspired by these magicians. 

During the episode, Juan steps away from the mic to show Jonah a photo of him and his friends:

Magic in Spain

What separates magic in Spain compared to anywhere else, is the love of magic and fellow magician. Magicians in Spain are constantly meeting and sharing ideas, working together to create magic moments to share with their audiences. When newcomers to magic approach him or come to the magic club, they aren’t turned away but rather led down a path that matches their skill level.

More and more, the people in Spain are recognizing magic as an art. They attend shows, know magicians and appreciate the beauty behind magic. Compared to when Juan was starting out, magic has continued to rise in popularity, making the potential to be a magician and share magic an attainable goal. 

Making Magic

Juan has no one method for creating his magic. He waits for inspiration to strike him. When an idea hits him, the focus is on the effect rather than the method; while he doesn’t want the audience to know how an effect is done, he wants the effect to be simple and clear. 

In terms of expressing emotions or theme, Juan doesn’t set out with the single goal of expressing a particular idea through his patter or the trick; he believes that the effects he chooses and the way he performs express his interior views of the exterior world. 

At the end of it all, he mainly wants to experience the magic with his audience. He loves the audience, and he loves magic. By stopping to experience the magical moment before moving to the next trick, he too can revel in the emotional impact magic can bring. 

Wrap Up

Endless Chain 

Roberto Giobi

What do you like about modern magic? What don’t you like? 

Juan enjoys the communication of magic alongside the fact that there are more magicians sharing the wonderful art form with the world. 

Take Home Point 

“I LOVE YOU!”