Last Saturday 4 May 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1.6 million people came to Copacabana Beach to watch the last performance of Madonna’s Celebration Tour, marking 40 years of her artistic Pop Star journey.
It is not surprising that Madonna’s show in Copacabana broke the record for the most attended stand-alone concert for any artist performing for free, and was the all-time highest attended concert by a female artist.
Perhaps it is also not surprising that 4 decades after recording her second album “Like a Virgin”, there are still so many people bothered by our Pop Queen’s deliberate sexual references, playbacks and dance sequences on stage – as if these elements were not “expected” in the Pop scene. If Madonna’s trademark has always been to be controversial, we can quote her, now 65 years old, saying: “The most controversial thing I’ve ever done, it is to stick around”. *
What Madonna has delivered in this audacious and generous over-2-hours-long free open air live-streamed pop spectacle, only Madonna could produce. It was visually magnificent with beautiful contemporary dance choreographies, artistically sublime in terms of its symbolic meaning, and unapologetically authentic pop music. Watching the concert felt like participating in a live version of her iconic video clips and at the same time having a magical portal connecting New York and Rio’s Carnival.
The spectacle was also a declaration of love to cultural and gender diversity. It paid tribute to people who died from AIDS over decades including Freddie Mercury and Brazilian pop singers Renato Russo and Cazuza. It also paid its respects to many Brazilian iconic artists and personalities including composers Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, minister of Environment and Climate Change Marina Silva and assassinated queer politician and human rights activist Marielle Franco. Madonna has also invited two controversial young Brazilian pop artists to share her stage: female singer Anitta and trans singer Pablo Vittar accompanied by Brazilian samba school drumming musicians.
Before Madonna, for me there was already the “Brazilian Queen of Rock”; Rita Lee and the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo – both extraordinary rebellious artists never afraid of declaring their own desires and living the life of their own choice. In this context, to love Madonna and her work has been always natural for me.
Thank you Madonna for appreciating Brazil and for your understanding of Brazilian Culture and arts. Thank you for being the true artist that you are – inspiring, questioning and transforming our contemporary society for 4 decades and for reminding Brazil, Rio and Copacabana of its bright, colourful, pluralistic, richly multicultural-nature which was so misrepresented during Bolsonaro’s latest event in Copacabana just few weeks ago. Sadly on that day, about 35,000 people came to Copacabana to support Bolsonaro’s impunity, denial of responsibility and theocratic state agendas. I am so glad to see that so many more people were in Copacabana to watch Madonna last Saturday: 1.6 million people – who clearly are much more progressive than Bolsonaro’s fanatic crowd.
“Music makes the people come together. Yeah! Music mix the bourgeoisie and the rebel. “
With Madonna, “Rio remains beautiful.” (O Rio de Janeiro continua lindo).
Artistic mission well accomplished! Viva Madonna! Viva the arts! Viva Brazilian Cultural Diversity!
* Billboard 2016 – Madonna’s Women of the Year – acceptance award quote:
“People say that I’m so controversial but I think the most controversial thing I’ve ever done is to stick around. What I would like to say to all the women here today is this. Women have been so oppressed for so long that they believe what men say about them. And they believe they have to back a man to get the job done. And there are some very good men that worth of backing, but not because they’re men but because they’re worthy. As women we have to start appreciating our own worth and each other worth. Seek out strong women to be friend, to align yourself with, to learn from, to be inspired by, to collaborate with, to support, to be enlightened by.”
#madonna #madonnainrio #riodejaneiro #copacabana #madonnacelebrationtour #marinadasilva #gilbertogil #itaucultural #newyork #rio #brazil #brasil #anitta #pablovittar #likeaprayer #holiday #celebration #ritalee #fridakahlo #powerfulwomen
Juliana Areias - The Bossa Nova Baby 