Mahdi’s Fight & Triumph Over The Impossible
The story of Mahdi,
the magician without hands
Canadian magician Mahdi Gilbert participates in the Vive la Magia 2023 Festival in León. The Vive La Magia International Festival, the largest in Europe by the number of performances, is celebrating its twentieth edition these days with performances by more than one hundred artists that will take place in the theaters, squares, monuments and streets of the city of León , from the province and also from Castilla y León. EFE/J.Casares
"Magic gave me power when I felt powerless"
Luis Martínez|León Dec (EFE).
Mahdi Gilbert was born without hands 34 years ago in Canada, which has not prevented him from becoming a magician of international repute who has made the conjuring art the means by which he expresses himself; to communicate and connect, in addition empowering him when he felt powerless because of his disability.
“Magic has given me a lot in life and has allowed me to develop skills using my mind and my body,” this illusionist who has traveled to León to participate in the Vive la Magia International Festival , the contest, stated in an interview with EFE. most important of those held in Europe.
Magic Transforms Lives
*Audio begins at 2:50
“Mahdi Gilbert is a very special magician. He is not a special magician because he was born without hands but because in his circumstances he was able to imagine and dream of the impossible. He was able to imagine transcending his limitations despite what life had set out for him. Mahdi Gilbert is a fighter, he is a triumph, he is a superior, and for what he has done he will be remembered to the very end of magic itself.”
- Juan Mayoral
“Magic has given me a feeling of power when I felt powerless and I have also met most of my great friends in life thanks to it… It has allowed me to pursue my interests and passions and see the world… It has given me a lot,” says the Canadian magician.
Mahdi also emphasizes that magic has made him a “better person” because it has allowed him to realize that he has a gift that he must share with others.
Use your story to help others
Canadian magician Mahdi Gilbert participates in the Vive la Magia 2023 Festival in León. The Vive La Magia International Festival, the largest in Europe by the number of performances, is celebrating its twentieth edition these days. EFE/J.Casares
“When I was younger they always told me that it was inspiring but I didn't understand it until I knew the effect it had on people,” says Mahdi, who adds that after some shows people told him stories and wrote him letters in which they related how it had influenced their lives. “I realized then that I had a responsibility to use myself and my story to help others in this world to the best of my ability,” he says.
Asked if he would have also dedicated himself to magic if he had been born with hands, he states that “probably yes”, although he clarifies that he would do it from a different perspective, always choosing the most difficult path. For Mahdi, it is never enough for the magician to do the impossible because he believes the true purpose of the magician is to make people believe that they can do anything.
Mahdi explains that his beginnings in the world of illusionism were a “very difficult and slow” process and that it took him a lot of work to develop his techniques. “All the technique manuals were written for people with hands so I have had to adapt everything for my body, but fortunately with every step I take I create and discover new ways of handling the cards,” he remarks.
Inclusive art
He also values that magic is “a very inclusive art with people of all kinds and does not discriminate against anyone,” although he emphasizes that regardless of each person's circumstances, the only thing that matters to magicians is doing good tricks.
“The great magicians came from every walk of life and built themselves up though magic. But they had the secret, which is this: You have to believe in your vision and make it happen. I believe that in magic the same thing happens as in any area of life, and if you want to stand out you have to work for it even knowing that in most cases life is never balanced or fair,” he warned.
Mahdi continues passionately & emphatically: “What you can never do is complain because everyone has problems and no one cares about your excuses. The only way to win is to concentrate on being the best you can be. The only way for things to happen to you is for your to fight for them, even if it is a fight against all odds; especially if it is a fight against all odds.”
Planting a Seed
Regarding the low presence of women in the world of magic, Mahdi says he would prefer to allow the wonderful women in magic to speak on the topic and he highlights that there are very important women who have obtained great recognition.
“I am convinced that there will be more and more female magicians, which will undoubtedly be a trigger for girls who see them perform to find a role model and aspire to be like them,” he explained.
Finally, he has indicated that he considers that “each country has its own style of magic”, and assures that often when he sees performances by colleagues he is able to guess their origin simply by observing their hands and the way they move.
“We live in a day where more people are seeing themselves reflected in the performers onstage and if that helps them dream and inspires them then what a wonderful thing we are able to accomplish!”
This article is a composite of several that appeared across various Spanish newspapers.
Read the originals here:
EFE: Mahdi Gilbert, el mago sin manos: “El ilusionismo me dio poder cuando me sentía impotente”
El Periodico: La historia de Mahdi Gilbert, el mago sin manos: "El ilusionismo me dio poder cuando me sentía impotente"
El Diario De Madrid: Mahdi Gilbert, hace "real lo imposible" con la magia de su voluntad
Diario De Leon: Mahdi Gilbert: «La magia es un arte muy inclusivo»
Servimedia: Mahdi Gilbert, el mago sin manos que hace "real lo imposible" con la magia de su voluntad
AUDIO from rne León: Castilla y León Informativos 07:25 - 26/12/2023
