Erik Mana (born September 16, 1972) is a professional magician and mentalist.
Mana was born in Manila and raised in Toronto, Canada. He is best known for his two television specials Stranger and Mastermind, which aired on a local and international Filipino channel.
He is one of my idols in magic. I like his style on how he present magic. He's very mysterious. Thanks to facebook and yahoo, I was able to get a chance to interview him online. :)
Here's my short interview with Erik Mana:
Is Erik Mana your real name? Kung hindi po, ano yun real name nyo?- Erik Mana is my stage name. I keep my real name private.
Kelan po kayo nagstart mag-magic?- I started learning magic when I was 8 years old.
What is the first trick you have learned? Where did you learned it?- My first trick was with two pennies. Another kid from my neighborhood taught it to me.
Magic or mentalism?- If you are asking which I prefer - I equally like both. They are very different from each other and thats why I like them both. I grew up with magic and evolved into mentalism. I am, however, more fascinated with mentalism on a more psychological level. I've always been fascinated with the human condition and what makes people tick.
Favorite foreign and local magician/mentalist:- Derren Brown is my favorite mentalist. But for magicians, there are too many to mention.- I have many local magician friends that are very good - it would be unfair to single one out.
Aside from sleight of hand magic and mentalism, do you also do card flourishes ala-Dan and Dave?- Yes. I have studied flourishes from the likes of Dan and Dave as well as other magicians. I have also created my own flourishes.
Any magic group you belong to?- I belong to S.A.M. (The Society of American Magicians). I do not belong to any magic group locally.
Being one of the best magician in our country, have you ever tried to give lectures in a convention here in the Philippines?- Thank you for the compliment. I am currently looking into giving a lecture to a small group of serious performers only. Nothing is confirmed yet, but I will let everyone know.
What can you say about magic scene in the Philippines?- Very promising. In the past few years, I've seen magic grow very fast here in the Philippines. I'm proud to say that I was part of that growth. When I came to the Philippines 9 years ago, the magic scene was defined by only a small handful of magicians - many of them still in the old school frame of mind. It was a dying art form here, but not anymore. Today, there are thousands out there and many of them very good. These new magicians are giving magic an new face and it is very promising.
Stranger or Mastermind? Why?- Both. I had my reasons for doing both so differently. Stranger was my own introduction to the Philippines - it was more light hearted. MasterMind, however, delve deeper into my own personality. I like the darkness of MasterMind. I had a lot of fun doing both.
Medyo matagal na po nun huli kayong gumawa ng magic special. I'm sure dami na po nagaabang. Meron po ba kayong upcoming magic special?- Yes. I do plan on producing another magic special soon. I will let everyone know of our progress.That's all! Thank you very much po! Last question pa pala po, san makakabili ng Stranger at Mastermind VCD?Your welcome. Unfortunately, Stranger was never released and MasterMind has become quite underground. Very hard to find now. Anyway, thank you for your questions. Good luck in your pursuit in magic! God bless!
Maraming salamat Erik Mana sa pagpapaunlak sa aking mga katanungan. :)
"Everything you can imagine is real..." -Picasso (A quote from Erik Mana's reply)
