Remembering the Algarve’s Best Loved Magician Professor Herrero (1953–2024)
For over fifty-five years, Professor Herrero entertained crowds across the Algarve’s many hotels and resorts, performing mystical sleight of hand and unique illusions, some of which won him numerous awards in the magic community. His polished performances and extravagant shows are now sadly only a memory, as one of the Algarve’s most famous magicians has died.
Born Dagoberto Cabrita Campos on 25 July 1953 in the municipality of Silves, the premier Algarvian magician went under the stage name of Professor Herrero. The name resulted from a heckle during a show in Spain when, during the ‘bed of nails’ stunt, someone in the audience shouted out, ‘El hombre es un herrero!’ (the man is a blacksmith).
Professor Herrero captivated audiences with his wacky magic and somewhat wizard-like appearance for decades, bringing joy to locals and tourists alike for over half a century. He has made over 300 appearances alone on television in Portugal, Spain and Germany. Having been enchanted by the world of magic since he was a child, Prof. Herrero’s first show was at the Sociedade Recreativa de Carvoeiro at the tender age of thirteen. Over the years, his repertoire grew into one of the best-loved shows of the Algarve tourism scene, securing him work alongside the Algarve Regional Tourism Commission.
One of his most famous effects was the levitating dog, in which his pet poodle, whose fur was dyed a bright colour, would levitate in mid-air, an illusion that would win him an award and became a widely known effect within the world of magic. Herrero performed alongside his lifelong love, wife Rosy, always taking the lead. Later, their act included their pet macaw, whom they aptly named Houdini, as the bird would magically penetrate through a solid perspex, panelled window.
In 2021, Herrero was honoured by the Lagoa Chamber during the International Magic Festival, and he has accumulated a host of other awards throughout his long career, including Personality of the Year, which he won twice in a row, the Career Award by Loulé City Council. He was also awarded the title of “Most versatile in the world’ by the Guinness World Records. On Friday, 13 May 2022, Prof. Herrero was honoured with a special tribute dinner in the company of two hundred guests, who gathered to celebrate his fifty-five-year career – a celebration promoted by the Municipality of Lagoa.
Apart from performing on stage, he was a well-established hypnotist, helping others to quit smoking, improve their sleep, and overcome other daily challenges. He was an accomplished author, writing several books on magic theology, and created Jantares dos 13, a cabaret evening held every Friday the thirteenth when guests were seated at tables of thirteen. Professor Herrero was also a columnist, often contributing to the Barlavento newspaper.
Later in life, Herrero would step out of the spotlight and go into retirement. Sadly, on 12June 2024, the Algarve’s best-loved magician passed away in Faro Hospital, aged 70, just one month shy of his 71st birthday. Survived by his wife Rosy and daughter Débora, Professor Herrero leaves a huge void to be filled as arguably the Algarve’s most famous magician.
Professor Herrero’s funeral took place on 17 June at the Igreja da Misericórdia in Lagoa.
The Broken Wand Ceremony is a ritual performed when a magician dies. His wand is ceremonially broken, symbolising that the ‘magic’ has come to an end.
Images courtesy of the family of Prof. Herrero
