Spellbound

Twenty year old Roshini Jayasekera can literally do magic. So it is little wonder that she won the Lady Magician of the Year 2007 last week, having inherited the magic touch from her father Rohan Jayasekera "Wonder Ro," himself the winner of the Magician of the Year in 1992.

Roshini's interest in magic began by watching her father perform. "I started helping my father from my school days at the age of 14 or 15 years and was exposed to magic a lot," she said.

Her first accolades were winning the Young Magician of the Year contest in 2002 – the Donovan Andree Challenge trophy and she has also taken part in international competitions including those conducted by the Society of Indian Magicians. "Each competitor is given ten minutes to show their talents and are expected to perform one illusion as well," she explained. Here too Roshini won praise from her fellow magicians and peers and was awarded a certificate in one instance.

Roshini calls herself "Trixie – the wonder girl" when she performs and her shows have become a great attraction not only with children but with adults as well. She began by producing pigeons and rabbits to entertain kids but has now become a fully-fledged independent magician in her own right, having mastered some of the tricks of the trade that have made her father famous in the local magicians circle.

Being a magician takes a lot of commitment and practice as the young lady explained. "I do mediation. It helps with the concentration," she said.

An old girl of Buddhist Ladies College and St. Paul's Milagiriya, Roshini's ambition is to be a lawyer while continuing to dabble in magic part time. For those watching Roshini perform, it is indeed a magical experience. But she thinks it is something that anyone can learn to do. "Anybody can learn magic. All they have to do is join the magic circle and develop their skills," said Roshini flashing her magical smile.

– Chandani Kirinde