At age 17, back in Cuba, Angel Zoilo Perera grabbed a green ficus leaf from a tree, pressed it between his lips and began to blow — but he became dizzy.
Once his brother-in-law showed him how to play the leaf properly, Perera’s life was forever changed.
He became “El Mago de la Hoja” (the Leaf Magician).
Now 78, he continues to play the greenery as an instrument, as well as the guitar, at La Esquina de La Fama restaurant on Calle Ocho in Little Havana.
“Sometimes the restaurant is lacking clientele and he’ll start to play the leaf outside and it gets filled,” said server Isabella Bacallao. “It attracts a lot of attention from the kids. He [even] gives leaves to the customers to see if they can attempt making a sound, and they fall on their chairs from dizziness. It’s super-funny.”
Perera said he has been in the music industry since 1988, working in Cuban hotels and airports as a singer, guitarist and, of course, leaf magician.
When choosing a leaf, not just any will do. Perera likes to get his from northwest Seventh Street and 35th Avenue, and prefers the ficus leaf because it provides enough resistance to avoid a musical malfunction.
Perera has more than 200 songs in his repertoire, incorporating music from all over the world including Cuba, Italy, Colombia and Mexico. Among his most popular songs: Latin favorite “Guantanamera.”
Upon walking by and hearing the song, “Canta y No Llores” (Sing and Don’t Cry), passerby Kailee Llagostera stopped to listen. “Wow, that was awesome, really innovative and resourceful! I love that song,” she said.
Despite attracting customers, Perera is not an employee of the restaurant, and the money he makes is solely off tips.
Along with his wife, he moved to Miami from Cuba a little over two years ago to retire. He said he considers his restaurant playing to be a hobby and is lucky to have found a place that accepted his act.
“There are 24 hours in the day, we sleep between six and eight of those, and as much as there is to do at home, there is time left over to do what I used to do in Cuba,” he said. “It is a pleasure.”
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