Friday 27 March 2009

A LAST SHRIEK

Today we'll be attending the funeral of the President of The Magic Circle, Ali Bongo.

Here, for my international readers, is Ali performing ('trilingually') his signature trick featuring the mysterious pom-pom stick or, as Ali's English patter used to call it, 'The Chinese Whatsit' - a cue to ask "Whatsit do?" Well, I'll let Ali show you...



And so, as Ali used to say, "That  answers the question 'Whatsit do?', but that still leaves the question 'Whatsit FOR?'"

Our friend's passing is very much the closing of a chapter in the history of magic, and there's no better way of remembering this zany, lovable, colourful personality than as he was seen on The Paul Daniels Magic Show with all the energy, vigour and eccentric inventiveness of his prime, performing his madcap act -- 'The Shriek of Araby'...



Best Salaams, Ali!

You can read more about Ali Bongo in my obituary to him in The Independent

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm glad to see we're still in the domain of "ever so slightly mad". I have always been fascinated by conjurors - in French they're called "prestidigitateur", which roughly translated means "quick fingered". And his French wasn't too bad either!
comishle: the French word for a conjuring trick involving scarves

Brian Sibley said...

Yes, indeed: a little touch of madness - including, as the Shriek, a Mad Hat! We're always the poorer for the passing of such folks...

Arts and Crafts said...

Thank you. God bless this artist, God bless every artist that we can enjoy.
I'm wanderin... I didn't know a magician serious, all of them are funny.

Brian Sibley said...

Well, Eudora, some certainly think they are serious!