"Do you want to see some magic?"

​

Ivan Marinov, also known as Dyado Gagi, has been doing magic since 1996. He was born to an Indian father and Turkish mother. It was his dad who taught him his first magic tricks. After graduating university, he realized this was what he wanted to do. He became a student of Mister Senko, one of the first and greatest Bulgarian magicians.

​

"I have been to so many places - France, Austria, Germany... In fact, we are just now coming back from a show in Sandanski and we are going to do another one in Sofia. My students have also had success. Most of them have taken part in the Golden Cat festival, an annual magic convention."

​

When I met Dyado Gagi, he was with his assistant and partner in life, Jivka. Even though she refused to have her picture taken, I promise you she had the sunniest smile.

​

She used to work as an IT teacher and as a receptionist at the Green Garden hotel in Sveti Vlas during the summer. However, when she crossed paths with Ivan, everything changed.

 

"I had recently divorced with my husband. One day, my roommate mentioned that a friend of hers was coming to a hotel in Sunny beach, a resort nearby."

​

This friend turned out to be Ivan, who was invited to perform at that hotel. On that fateful day sixteen years ago, he asked her to help him out with a card magic trick.

​

"Before the trick, he told me to say "king of spades" when I had to guess the woman's card. And I did. She was in shock!"

​

Jivka smiled as she remembered. It was love at first sight.

​

"Some time later, he asked me to live with him. I knew this meant leaving everything behind. I said yes."

​

Her family wanted her to be happy, so they supported her decision. 

​

"Since then, we have been inseparable. We have travelled to a lot of places, been to festivals and competitions and come up with magic tricks together."

​

Jivka was excited to tell me about their best trick.

​

"One day, we were watching a Youtube video of a Chinese magician removing his head. We thought it was amazing! I figured out what we needed and with lots of practice, we were successful.  Ivan was the first Bulgarian magician to remove his head in public!"

​

I spent two hours with these two lovely people, listening about their amazing adventures. Of course, Dyado Gagi showed me some magic tricks.

 

From spectacular sleight of hand with cards to sticking a knife through his finger, he left me speechless.

​

​

​