From Paulo Freire to Zumbi dos Palmares, the long-awaited and historic concert by US singer Madonna on Copacabana beach, on Saturday (4), celebrated icons of Brazilian culture, sport and politics, and brought back the colors of Brazil's national flag.
The pop diva commemorated 40 years of her career with an audience of 1.6 million people. The free show was the biggest ever held on the sands of the symbolic national tourist spot, famous worldwide.
During the song Music, Madonna was joined by children and teenage rhythm players from Rio de Janeiro’s favelas, conducted by Pretinho da Serrinha. The samba version of the song was performed alongside Pablo Vittar, while a huge screen showed important names in Brazilian history.
Madonna, Vittar, the rhythm players and dancers wore the Brazilian national soccer team shirt and the colors of the country’s flag, which, in recent years, have been co-opted by far-right movements. Meanwhile, the crowd and the singer sang together the chorus, Music, makes people unite / Music, mixes the bourgeoisie and the rebels.
One of the people honored on the big screen was councilwoman Marielle Franco, murdered in 2018 in retaliation for her fight against militia rule in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Educator and philosopher Paulo Freire, patron of Brazilian education and pioneer of popular literacy, also received a tribute, as did popular Quilombola leader Zumbi dos Palmares.
The list of Brazilian personalities who were remembered included rapper Mano Brown, from Racionais MCs; federal deputy Erika Hilton (Socialism and Freedom Party); Environment Minister Marina Silva (Rede Party); Indigenous Peoples Minister Sonia Guajajara (Socialism and Freedom Party); soccer players Marta and Pelé; musician Gilberto Gil; painter Tarsila do Amaral and singer Elza Soares.
The song ended with a giant image of the Brazilian flag on the screen, applauded for several minutes by the crowd. Madonna also used the country's colors in the outfit she wore when accompanied by Anitta in the song Vogue, full of references to sexual freedom.
As usual, the show was full of tributes and celebrations to diversity and the LGBTQIAPN+ community. The diva also remembered the victims of the HIV crisis in the 1980s and 1990s, with photos of Renato Russo, Cazuza, and Freddy Mercury, among others.
The political demonstrations weren't just on stage. Fans projected the Palestinian flag onto the Copacabana Palace, one of the most famous Brazilian hotels, in memory of the victims of daily Israeli attacks.
Check out some of the reactions to the concert on social media:
It's extremely gratifying to watch Madonna pay tribute to LGBTQIA+ people, ooze sensuality and humiliate conservatism right on the beach where the far-right cattle crawl to worship a misogynist, homophobic and racist criminal. The show slaps prejudice in the face. pic.twitter.com/TESPmwGEUY
— Tiago Barbosa (@tiagobarbosa_) May 5, 2024
Madonna proves that you can be an old lady, wear green and yellow and be in Copacabana without demanding military intervention pic.twitter.com/ftQdWpk5no
— William De Lucca (@delucca) May 5, 2024
FREE PALESTINE 🇵🇸 During Madonna's concert in Copacabana, activists projected the Palestinian flag for an end to the genocide in Gaza, and down with Israel's colonialist apartheid! pic.twitter.com/swvZf55MgC
— Sâmia Bomfim (@samiabomfim) May 5, 2024
Madonna and Pabllo resignifying/rescuing our [national soccer team] shirt, our flag and our colors. The trauma and symbolism [of it] are in the past. LONG LIFE TO BRAZIL💚💛 pic.twitter.com/RvhyGmnv1P
— Nahoum (@siganahoum) May 4, 2024
Madonna calls samba school kids to the stage and puts Pablo Vittar – a gay and drag performer – who lived with his mother in an MST settlement, and both artists dance in the face of fascism, with images of our Black/Indigenous references. Keeping on without fear is revolutionary. That's Madonna! pic.twitter.com/v7eZmSMB7k
— Iriny Lopes (@iriny_13) May 5, 2024
It was pure emotion seeing the images of Cazuza, Betinho, Renato Russo, Sandra Bréa and other Brazilians in Madonna's tribute to the lives we have lost to the AIDS epidemic.
Back in the early days, when the world ignored and treated HIV with disregard, stigmatizing the LGBTQIA+ community, Madonna was already using her voice to fight against stigma and LGBTphobia.
Let's learn from this powerful message from the queen of pop. We can't let the past repeat itself, in memory of all those we've lost along the way. pic.twitter.com/vDsOHJ2Tjf
— Fábio Felix 🏳️🌈 (@fabiofelixdf) May 5, 2024
Edited by: Rodrigo Durão Coelho
