Héctor René Lavandera (24 September 1928 – 7 February 2015), known as René Lavand, was an Argentine
magician
Magician or The Magician may refer to:
Performers
* A practitioner of magic (supernatural)
* A practitioner of magic (illusion)
* Magician (fantasy), a character in a fictional fantasy context
Entertainment
Books
* ''The Magician'', an 18th-ce ...
, specialising in
close-up magic
Close-up magic (also known as table magic or micromagic) is Magic (illusion), magic performed in an intimate setting usually no more than 3 meters (10 feet) from one's audience and is usually performed while sitting at a table.
Sleight-of-hand, ...
. He was notable for performing
card trick
Card manipulation is the branch of magic that deals with creating effects using sleight of hand techniques involving playing cards. Card manipulation is often used in magical performances, especially in close-up, parlor, and street magic. Some ...
s with only one hand.
Biography
Lavand was born in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
in 1928.
[ After losing a hand at the age of nine in a car crash, Lavand slowly taught himself ]card manipulation
Card manipulation is the branch of magic that deals with creating effects using sleight of hand techniques involving playing cards. Card manipulation is often used in magical performances, especially in close-up, parlor, and street magic. Some ...
, later stating, "I went through hard times, but I got an advantage, I couldn't copy anyone's techniques."[ After working as a cashier in a bank, at the age of 32 he appeared in Buenos Aires' Tabarís Theater, following which his career took off, leading to world tours.]Ed Sullivan
Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television personality, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York ...
's and Johnny Carson
John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known as the host of ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson received six Pr ...
's television shows and performed in shows at the Magic Castle
The Magic Castle is a clubhouse for magicians and magic enthusiasts, as well as the clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts. It is in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California and it bills itself as "the most unusual private club in t ...
in Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
.[ The catchphrase he used for one of his most celebrated tricks was "''No se puede hacer más lento''" (Spanish for "it cannot be done any slower"), referencing the measured and slow pace of his performances.
In between international tours he resided in ]Tandil
Tandil is the main city of the homonymous Partidos of Buenos Aires, partido (department), located in Argentina, in the southeast of Buenos Aires Province, just north-northwest of Tandilia hills. The city was founded in 1823 and its name originate ...
, Argentina, and adapted a railway carriage
A railroad car, railcar (American and Canadian English), railway wagon, railway carriage, railway truck, railwagon, railcarriage or railtruck (British English and UIC), also called a train car, train wagon, train carriage or train truck, is a ...
into a magic saloon where he taught the art of illusion
An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the mind normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Although illusions distort the human perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people.
Illusions may o ...
.[ He also co-wrote (with Richard J. Kaufman) the book ''Mysteries of My Life''. The book is an autobiography as well as an instructional book on his magic. He received several honors from the ]Academy of Magical Arts
The Magic Castle is a clubhouse for magicians and magic enthusiasts, as well as the clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts. It is in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California and it bills itself as "the most unusual private club in t ...
: Close-up Magician of the Year (1993), Performing Fellowship (1997), and Masters Fellowship (2011).pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
at Nueva Clínica Chacabuco in Buenos Aires in 2015, aged 86.
Selected filmography
* '' Un oso rojo'' ("A Red Bear"), directed by Adrian Caetano (2002): plays 'El Turco'
* ''El Gran Simulador'' ("The Great Pretender"), directed by Néstor Frenkel (2013): biographical film with performance excerpts and interviews with Lavand at his home
Books
* ''René Lavand: Slow motion magic I'' (1988)
* ''René Lavand: Slow motion magic II'' (1991)
* ''René Lavand: Magic from the Soul'' (1993)
* ''Mysteries of My Life'' (1998), with Richard Kaufman
References
Further reading
* Originally published in August 2014.
External links
René Lavand's ''It Can't Be Done Any Slower'' Video
via YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lavand, Rene
1928 births
2015 deaths
People from Buenos Aires
People from Tandil
Argentine magicians
Deaths from pneumonia in Argentina
Academy of Magical Arts Close-Up Magician of the Year winners
Academy of Magical Arts Masters Fellowship winners
Academy of Magical Arts Performing Fellowship winners