Magic News

India’s Magic Academy Brings Mazma to Life

Gopinath Muthukad

Mazma is a Hindi word meaning “Fair at the Street.”

So
when you combine famous Indian magician Gopinath Muthukad with Mazma,
it translates as two-days of great magic by some of the best Indian
Street Magicians.

 

The Magic Academy is throwing the
shindig in Thiruvananthapuram, the cute capital city of Kerala State in
India. The Department of Culture and Sangeetha Nataka Akademi of Kerala
is encouraging the festival as part of its effort to promote magic as a
performing art. 

How is that for cool?

We think it’s
pretty cool.  As long-time readers of Quinlan’s Inside Magic know,
Kerala is the only State in India to recognize magic as an art and this
is the first time a Street Magic Festival will be held with the support
of the government.

The festival is set for December 10th and 11th this year. 

The
celebration of Indian Street Magic is long-time coming.  Like the
American and European colleagues, Indian street magicians live off
their craft — seeking tips or in-kind donations to keep them fed and
sheltered. 

Mr. Muthukad tells us the festival will be more than just a convention. 

Competitions
will be held to kindle their inherent talent. The first prizewinner
will be honored with the title of ?Jadu Samrat? and a purse of Rs.25000
whereas the runner up can receive a cash award of Rs.10000. A
demonstration by these winners will mark a euphoric finale to Mazma.
All other contestants will be honored with mementos offered by the
cultural department of Kerala.

According to Mr.
Muthukad, these performers are also “guardians to a number of
unexplored routines and intriguing practices in magic that have been
traditionally passed on through vagrant generations.”

The street festival is a great opportunity to bringing the varied styles and traditions to one place.






Gopinath Muthukad

Mazma is a Hindi word meaning “Fair at the Street.”

So
when you combine famous Indian magician Gopinath Muthukad with Mazma,
it translates as two-days of great magic by some of the best Indian
Street Magicians.

 

The Magic Academy is throwing the
shindig in Thiruvananthapuram, the cute capital city of Kerala State in
India. The Department of Culture and Sangeetha Nataka Akademi of Kerala
is encouraging the festival as part of its effort to promote magic as a
performing art. 

How is that for cool?

We think it’s
pretty cool.  As long-time readers of Quinlan’s Inside Magic know,
Kerala is the only State in India to recognize magic as an art and this
is the first time a Street Magic Festival will be held with the support
of the government.

The festival is set for December 10th and 11th this year. 

The
celebration of Indian Street Magic is long-time coming.  Like the
American and European colleagues, Indian street magicians live off
their craft — seeking tips or in-kind donations to keep them fed and
sheltered. 

Mr. Muthukad tells us the festival will be more than just a convention. 

Competitions
will be held to kindle their inherent talent. The first prizewinner
will be honored with the title of ?Jadu Samrat? and a purse of Rs.25000
whereas the runner up can receive a cash award of Rs.10000. A
demonstration by these winners will mark a euphoric finale to Mazma.
All other contestants will be honored with mementos offered by the
cultural department of Kerala.

According to Mr.
Muthukad, these performers are also “guardians to a number of
unexplored routines and intriguing practices in magic that have been
traditionally passed on through vagrant generations.”

The street festival is a great opportunity to bringing the varied styles and traditions to one place.





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