Vellin, Bandung's 'queen of magicians'<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
When releasing her first album, titled Raja Sulap (King of
\nMagicians) in 1999, the actual notion of becoming a magician had
\nnot exactly crossed Vellin's mind.<\/p>\n
The idea of learning magic came from her fans who challenged
\nher to play the tricks for real on stage, and not just
\nfantasizing about them in songs.<\/p>\n
\"I thought they were right -- that it would be more lively to
\nperform tricks in the context of a music show,\" says Vellin.<\/p>\n
Thus began the story of Indonesia's best-known child magician,
\nwhose given name is Marvellin Yohanna. She turned 15 on March 23.<\/p>\n
So, as fate would have it, Vellin, an eighth grader at Nehru
\nMemorial International School in Bandung, is now better known as
\na magician than child singer -- the profession which first
\ncatapulted her to stardom.<\/p>\n
The first Indonesian junior magician to have become a member
\nof the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Vellin has never
\nabandoned her dream of becoming more professional as a singer,
\npianist and composer, however.<\/p>\n
Her talent has earned her the credit of becoming the presenter
\nof a Sunday childrens' program on ANteve.<\/p>\n
Her parents, who run car body repair shops in Bandung, first
\nfrowned upon their daughter's determination to become a
\nprofessional magician, and wanted her to concentrate on instead
\non music.<\/p>\n
\"But they changed their minds and gave me their support,\" said
\nVellin who, these days, will not perform a show without the
\ncompany of her mother, who is also her manager.<\/p>\n
In fact, \"they shield me from critics,\" she noted.<\/p>\n
Over time, her parents succumbed to her resolve and the
\nproficiency she demonstrated -- at home and on TV.<\/p>\n
Dian Maryska, her mother, said, \"We wanted to see her become a
\ntrue professional.\"<\/p>\n
Since Vellin learned magic from Malaysian guru David Chow and
\nveteran Indonesian magician Robin, Vellin has grown obsessed with
\nbecoming a world-class magician, like the American icon Melinda.<\/p>\n
Her interest in the art of magic intensified after she learned
\nmore about it from master Ziang in Singapore, and read basic
\ntricks in the Magic Crazy series she purchased there.<\/p>\n
She started making a name for herself by performing at private
\nparties. As her reputation grew, she also performed on more
\nformal occasions -- such as companies' product launching.<\/p>\n
As she is now coming of age, Vellin has found it difficult to
\nidentify with a core audience: she is either too \"big\" to
\nidentify herself as \"child entertainer,\" or too young for an
\nadult crowd.<\/p>\n
And this is where her magic skills have become a major
\nadvantage: because magic knows no age limits.<\/p>\n
She has been concentrating on a combination of \"classical\" and
\n\"techno\" genres.<\/p>\n
When performing at a recent operetta held by childrens'
\nmagazine Bobo at Taman Mini, Jakarta, she began with the classic
\ntrick of turning paper into two white ducks. The high point of
\nthe 15-minute show was calling and hiding a girl in a box -- a
\ndomain used by adult magicians.<\/p>\n
Vellin believes only in the \"scientific magic,\" and not in the
\nuse of spiritual power that religions disavow.<\/p>\n
\"What I do is a combination of hand speed, concentration, and
\nequipment -- there is no 'magical power' as people understand
\nit,\" she explained.<\/p>\n
So, when asked what she would do were she to wake up finding
\nherself in a cave teeming with wild snakes, she replied, \"Wow, I
\nwould run for dear life.\"<\/p>\n
And why not turn the beasts into canes as Moses did the Bible?
\n\"Because magic is only an art of trick, you know,\" she replied.
\n\"It doesn't work that way in real life.\"<\/p>\n
As an entertainer with a million skills, she cherishes the
\ndream of going international. Becoming a member of the
\nInternational Brotherhood of Magicians is her first step. She has
\nperformed in Malaysia and Singapore.<\/p>\n
\"I want to travel around the world while performing and
\nmeeting people whom I can learn from,\" she says.<\/p>\n
Abracadabra!<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/vellin-bandungs-queen-of-magicians-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }