Magic Funtasia

Born into a family of magicians and illusionists, magic acts and illusions became second nature to both Zeeto and Nike since birth! Their father, the deceased legendary master-illusionist, PROFESSOR ABIOLA PELLER, was the best magician/illusionist in the whole of Africa and the Middle East. 

 

For decades their late father, Prof. Peller, ruled Africa and the Middle East with his incredible magical feats! As kids, growing up in both Lagos and Ibadan, Zeeto and Nike got involved pretty soon in the family business by following their father and mother to shows/concerts and learning the ropes!

 

In Africa in general, and Nigeria in particular, before their father came back from his training in the Far East, magic tricks, illusion, and wizardry were practiced by a few feared criminal bandits and mediocre hoodlums such as the notorious "SEVEN-SEVEN," "RONDO-RONDO," and the abracadabra cheat, "AMERICA WONDER," and etc. All of those tricksters were in the habit of swindling the unsuspecting spectators and gullible housewives and ordinary folks! However, when the late Prof. Peller returned from abroad he sanitized the society, so to speak, with his finesse and smooth appeal of modern magic! After his ushering in, and acceptance by the larger populace, of "orthodox" magic, their father was met with a fierce opposition from a few remaining idol worshipping performers famously known as "ALASI" (who were basically "nomadic" illusionists and dancers from Oke Ogun, Ibarapa, and the Oyo North areas of the Yorubaland.) The "Alasi" were famous for their own style of raw or crude magic, which was rooted in body mutilations ranging from cutting off own tongues into a tumbler half-filled with water, to piercing of their lips and locking them with a padlock, and plucking of their own two eyes into a clear glass, and driving a big, 6-inch nail into their own nose! The sight was horrendous!) Also, there existed the EGUNGUN ALARE - itinerant masquerades - who went about Ibadan and other Yoruba cities and towns like a circus company, displaying incredible acrobatic feats and agility; they also had the ability to transform into lions, tigers, pythons, and other exotic animals! Perhaps, the most popular of them was called AFENAPA (the light extinguisher), who died mysteriously when he climbed atop the Mapo Hall in Ibadan and attempted to jump off in an acrobatic stance. He landed with a loud thud, face down, on the macadamized ground and his remains were carted off the scene in a wooden coffin! Folks insinuated that a spell was probably cast on him by his colleagues who were seemingly jealous of his continued success. The Yorubaland of those days, especially Ibadan, was always busy and never boring. 
 

However, higher up in the food chain of absurd were two votaries of wizardry who were deemed "local professionals," ALIMI IBARAPA, aka, "Alimi Yopa yopa" (one that removed arms/hands at will and any given opportunity), and his contemporary/rival, the legendary ALADOKUN OF IKIRUN, a medicine man or "voodooist," who also owned a sanatorium where he cured people suffering from madness or mental disorders. These two guys enjoyed unfettered and absolute popularity across lNigeria until the late Professor Abiola Peller came into the limelight! Alimi Ibarapa quickly saw the writing on the wall as he quietly fizzled into magical oblivion; nonetheless, Aladokun of Ikirun would not budge. He refused to shift ground for "the-new-king-in-town," Prof. Peller. This Aladokun of a man became an annoying thorn in Prof. Peller's flesh to the extent that he vehemently challenged Peller to a magical bout on numerous occasions. All those aforementioned guys' shenanigans and rivalries helped make magic a very popular and respectable vocation in Africa.

 

The late prof. Peller (Zeeto's and Nike's father) was a showman of the highest order. Anytime he had a show/concert in Ibadan (the largest stand-alone city in the whole of Africa) he would go around the ancient city in a convoy of about twenty luxury buses all wrapped in uniformed dark green astral color snaking past major roads and popular streets with sweet and melodic Far-Eastern or Indian astral tunes blaring from the vehicles' loudspeakers. It was really a delight to behold! 
 

The late Professor Abiola Peller was a magnificent illusionist; his showmanship was unequaled. There were incredible and scary legends surrounding the man - tales like how he defeated all the magicians in an international competition at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, Nigeria; his awesome "time-stopping" trick (when it was rumored that he stopped the time and made the clocks and watches go anti clockwise!); the bitter feud and rivalry between him and Aladokun of Ikirun (the aforementioned universally feared and recognized late medicine man-cum magician who depended mostly on sorcery, wizardry/witchcraft, and voodoo) - how it was rumored that Aladokun put Peller in a bottle and allegedly swallowed him - how it turned out to be untrue; how Aladokun repeatedly challenged Professor Peller and how he (Peller) allegedly defeated him at every meeting (Aladokun was later hacked to death by one of his crazy patients - a male sicko - who attacked and cut off his (Aladokun's) hand with a machete on his way to the bathroom. Aladokun tragically bled to death before he could be rushed to a nearby hospital); how Peller did shows for certain African Heads of States and Presidents, and so on and so forth.