Black Jack is living his dream; he said magic is a tool to bring people together in laughter. Picture Hein Kaiser
A magician’s slight of hand is like a brain fart. And street magician Josue Muska Musenge, known as Black Jack, has been melting Johannesburg brains and fascinating audiences for several years.
The ease with which magicians swindle the mind has always held fascination for him and, being on the opposite side of a deck of cards tricks, a lifelong dream. Whether one on one in a mall or in front of thousands on stage, Black is a born performer.
Black said: “I have always been fascinated by magic, but at home it is considered witchcraft.”
He arrived from the Democratic Republic of Congo and hit the streets of Joburg in search of a better life.
He said: “My family moved here after the war, and to support myself I sold fatcakes on street corners, repaired cellphones and traded as much as I could to earn a living.”
It was then that he first encountered, what Black calls, South African magic, when he met a street magician whose stagecraft left him thrilled.
While at first the magician wouldn’t agree to teach Black anything at first, but the pair later came together again, and the performer has mentored Black ever since.
In between his first rejection and reconciliation the aspiring magician was tutored by a Tanzanian magician. “But it was not the kind of magic I wanted to make,” Black said.
Today his repertoire includes the stock and trade of street magic along with larger and more complex illusions. He said: “I have walked on water and put my hand through a thick glass plate, and I have also entertained countless children at parties and people at fairs.”
Black Jack has the French joy de vivre in large measures. He has a spring in his step and slinkies around everywhere.
His trademark red bowler hat ever present. He said that magicians’ wardrobes are boring, and presently Black is looking for something more funky and accessibly African to match his craft, his personality and of course, his continent.
Black and I met at the East Rand Mall, a centre brave enough to allow the magician free reign to fascinate shopkeepers and shoppers alike.
And the response was the same every time – disbelief.
We traversed the mall and stunned people. Literally. Black’s little sponge ball trick, card games and banter had test subjects in stitches, and a little bit nervy seeing magic so close up. It was fascinating and hilarious to watch at the same time.
People love magic, people love believing, and in Black’s case, seeing him perform delivers exactly that.
One store assistant at Sorbet insisted that magic was witchcraft, another shopper tried to make sense of it and asked Black to repeat the trick. His jaw was permanently dropped.
At Cardies, a reticent employee became an enthralled participant as Black’s charisma and slight of hand won her and her skepticism over. Across the mall-way, another shopkeeper didn’t want him to leave, she wanted to see more as she covered her face in coyness.
He said: “When I perform, magic has the same impact everywhere. I always get that joy, that excitement from people. Sometimes I people scream, you know? And I think that that’s what makes magic, magical.”
Black grins ear to ear when he speaks about his craft. His passion is infectious and his demeanour so welcoming and warm that it is no wonder that he resonates with audiences, no matter whether it’s one or one hundred.
He said: “Magic can make the world a better place. I believe it completely. And I want to see the world become a better place.”
To this end he invested money in the creation of an app that teaches the basics of magic to everyone.
“I want magic to be shared around Africa, for aspiring magicians to enjoy some sort of mentorship, like I have. It’s for free.
“It’s a dream come true, for me.”
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