The singer Madonna performed in a unique free concert on her The Celebration Tour in South America.
Photo: EFE – André Coelho
The 65-year-old American artist closed The Celebration Tour on a hot night, in which she exuded energy and mixed music with performance, cabaret and dance. After 10:30 pm local time, she arrived at the 800 m² stage via a long elevated walkway from the emblematic Copacabana Palace hotel, where she has been staying since she arrived in the city on Monday. Her performance of “Nothing Really Matters,” a hymn to resilience, was the beginning of a brutal outpouring of energy.
“Here we are, Rio, the most beautiful place in the world!” greeted the diva, who brought tears of emotion to the audience, which was expected to reach 1.5 million. “Holiday” helped her remember her beginnings, when she arrived in New York with US$35 in her pocket, but “with a dream.” With dozens of changes of sets and costumes, spectacular lights and many giant screens along the beach, Madonna demonstrated her infinite capacity for innovation.
She went from a schoolgirl in a miniskirt to an irreverent Catholic in her black cape while luminous crosses circled around her, in “Like a Prayer”, a song that cost her excommunication from the Catholic Church. In “Live To Tell” she paid tribute to AIDS victims, including Freddie Mercury and legendary Brazilian musician Cazuza. Masturbation simulations and human mandalas of dancers emitting sensual moans over electronic music followed…
Because the erotic Madonna had a predominant role even when she thanked Rio, “who loves even my ‘pussy’.” And she was followed by Madonna’s mother, who she proudly presented to her daughter Mercy James while she played the piano.
Madonna’s tribute to Brazil
The queen of pop’s love for Brazil had its moment, first with Anitta, the queen of funk, the genre from the favelas of Rio. Both shared a number as judges of a parade of dancers in “Vogue”, among them Estere, another of Madonna’s daughters. However, Anitta did not sing. The other local guest did, the drag singer Pabllo Vittar, who took the stage with a group of boys who played drums.
It was the turn of “Music”, which Madonna sang while shaking the ‘green and yellow’ flag. An epic finale, with a mix of “Billie Jean”, by Michael Jackson, and “Like a Virgin” put the icing on the cake, which Madonna placed exultantly, and sweaty, almost two and a half hours after the start.
Madonna’s surprise kiss
The singer surprised even more during her performance by sharing a kiss with one of the dancers who accompanied the star in her performance. The star grabbed her face and kissed him for several seconds, then continued with her show.
The moment recalled the occasion when Madonna kissed Britney Spears during the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in 2003. On that occasion, the queen of pop also kissed the singer Christina Aguileraa moment that appeared less time on the live broadcast.
Since the 1984 hit “Like a Virgin” catapulted her onto the international scene, Madonna has released an album every two or three years and today is considered one of the greatest pop artists of all time. The mega-concert, whose production involved thousands of people, cost US$60 million, 17 of them from the artist’s cache, according to local media. It is an economic bet by Rio de Janeiro, which injected US$4 million of the 12 million that production costs.
The authorities estimate that the show will contribute US$60 million to the local economy, with an unusual hotel occupancy for the time and hundreds of restaurants and merchants doing their extra season. But above all, they know that hosting Madonna’s biggest concert is going down in history. And that is priceless.
