The beginning: bold
1993 will be remembered in the history of the State of Israel as the year when the skies opened solemnly for huge performances of a magnitude we had never known before.
It was a summer that opened with the rock bands Guns and Roses and Metallica, continued with two performances by Michael Jackson, and ended with a grand finale at the beginning of October, with Madonna's "Girly Show" in front of 50,000 people, and I was among them.
I was then an elementary school student, growing up to the reality that Israel is on the map when it comes to shows at the highest level.
Then, on the Queen of Pop's fourth world tour, after a decade in which she established herself as an international superstar, Madonna's relationship with Israel began.
This tour, which was managed by her brother Christopher Cicone, was more theatrical and sensual than ever and followed the promotion of the album "Erotica" and the controversial book "Sex".
It was a point in time where Madonna went to the extreme visually, much to the chagrin of many.
Even in Israel, the ultra-orthodox sector vigorously opposed her erotic appearance in the Holy Land, but it didn't really help.
And when the show opened with the dancer Carrie Ann-Inba (later a judge on the American "Dancing with the Stars"), as she slowly slid down a stripper pole in the center of the stage in front of 50,000 enraptured spectators, it was clear that once again Madonna came out victorious.
Eroticism was present in Madonna's work almost from day one.
After launching her career in 1982 with the first single "Everybody" and the first album that revealed her as a sassy and colorful pop-dance artist, in 1984 she made her mark at the first MTV Video Music Awards when she performed the theme song from her second album "Like a Virgin" and rolled on The stage was erotic, which was more than implied.
In retrospect, she will innocently wish for it in that the lace fabric of the revealing wedding dress she wore got tangled in a high heel, so she opted for "horizontal choreography" on the floor.
By the way, as soon as she got off the stage, her publicist told her: "That's it, your career is over."
Beautiful in Manhattan.
Madonna celebrates in New York at the beginning of the month, photo: Getty Images
In the past it turned out that this was only the opening shot.
Not only for incorporating unapologetic femininity in her work, but also for the parallel rise of MTV, a channel whose popularity increased in part because of video clips like Madonna's - who also turned out to be an unprecedented visual artist.
Madonna's debut in Israel came at a challenging point in her career.
Many believed then that the album "Erotica" was one step too bold.
The critics, just like her publicist, began to eulogize her.
Indeed, unlike the previous tour from the beginning of the 90's "Blonde Ambition", which was immortalized in her documentary "In Bed with Madonna", this time she only appeared in three cities in the USA, but appeared for the first time in South America, Australia and here. In practice, this bold period will be remembered as such in which Madonna left a far-reaching and significant artistic mark, before the great upheaval.
Later: Illuminated
"I have an idea, let's fly to Israel tomorrow!"
Madonna announced at the end of the 2004 tour closing party in Lisbon.
Indeed, immediately after that she took off for a Kabbalah conference in Tel Aviv.
The same catch phrase was included in her second documentary "I want to tell you a secret", which followed the spiritual enlightenment she experienced since becoming the mother of her first daughter Lourdes in 1996, the product of a relationship with her fitness trainer at the time, Carlos Leon.
The concert tour following the ninth studio album "American Life" from 2003 was supposed to end in Israel, but the wave of terrorist attacks of the period caused the organizers to abandon the idea.
Madonna did not give up visiting Israel, but instead of performing, she spoke at a conference about spirituality and children.
The album itself, by the way, was considered a commercial failure, even though it sold no less than 5 million copies, and the four singles that came out of it took first place on the Billboard dance chart, which is why they are included in the new collection marking the 50 singles that conquered the top of the charts.
at the reception center.
She replaced the corsets with floral dresses, photo: Daniel Bar On
At the same time, in interviews to promote the same album, Madonna began to say that it was difficult for her to perform songs like "Material Girl" and "Like a Virgin".
But as someone who knows how to reinvent herself every time, she also knew very well how to adapt the iconic hits of the beginning to her current situation.
This was the theme of that tour which ended with a festive performance of "Holiday" with the flags of all the countries, and with the Israeli flag next to the Palestinian flag.
foretoken.
Madonna of the beginning of the millennium has changed beyond recognition since her previous visit to our provinces.
From a materialistic girl she matured into mother earth.
Freed from inhibitions, she turned to new avenues.
Thus, for example, she portrayed the character of the former first lady of Argentina, Eva Peron, in the film "Evita" (1996), a role for which she even won a Golden Globe.
She also got married in 2000 to the British director Guy Ritchie (after the eighties marriage to the actor Sean Penn), with whom she gave birth to her second child, Rocco, four months earlier.
At the same time, she also made headlines as the most famous presenter of Kabbalah theory, another trend of the late nineties which she brilliantly led.
What changed?
The heavy make-up disappeared and the corsets were replaced by floral dresses.
The star began to write children's books, expressed opinions on issues in a public voice and in general - grew up.
Her guru was Eitan Yardani, a senior at the World Kabbalah Center, who was also behind her visit to Israel when she spoke at a conference in September 2004 and three years later, at a conference in 2007.
"I met people from all over the world at the conference, we held hands, sang, danced and prayed together, Christians, Jews and Muslims, when we all have one thing in common - a desire for world peace, an end to chaos, suffering and hatred for no reason, and that's why I'm here," she said in 2004.
"I am happy to return to Israel and promise not to be absent for another ten years. To be honest, I was a little hesitant to come after news reports about terrorist attacks and warnings that it is dangerous for Americans here. But it is no more dangerous than in New York. I feel very safe and welcome here, and the most dangerous thing I have ever encountered They are the paparazzi outside the hotel."
At the peak: dominates
After the daring opening and two more private visits as a sign of acceptance, which we heard about through news coverage (including a meeting with the late President Shimon Peres shortly after he was elected to office), for her fourth time in Israel Madonna came straight into the arms of the fans, with two final performances on the "Sticky And Sweet" tour " held in September 2009 in front of a total of 100 thousand people.
"I haven't performed here for a few years, and I'm very happy to be back. It's so good to be in Israel again, I won't be absent again for so long," she promised the audience, "I'm recharged with energy every time I'm here, and I really believe that Israel is the energy center of the world If we live here in harmony, there will be peace in the whole world... That's exactly what I'm talking about, Tel Aviv!"
with the late Shimon Peres,
Madonna was then at the peak of success.
She and the Israeli-American manager next to her, Guy Ozeri, read the map of the changing music industry and saw that the big money is no longer in selling albums, but in concerts - a conclusion that was expressed in two rounds of the "Sticky And Sweet" column, which included 85 concerts all over the world and raked in no less than -420 million dollars.
This is the highest-grossing tour by a female artist and the tenth ever in total, ahead of only veteran bands such as the Rolling Stones and U2.
At the same time as the successful concert tour, Madonna deepened her social activities, including donations to Malawi in East Africa, where she built a children's hospital, inaugurated a school for girls and invested in the education system, with an emphasis on helping orphans.
She also adopted four children from Malawi, David Banda (17), Mercy James (16) and twins Stella and Esther (9).
The year before she came to Israel, she broke up with Guy Ritchie, and on tour she was accompanied by a new partner, a Brazilian DJ named Chazos Luz, who is 28 years younger than her.
During the visit, she had time to meet for Friday dinner with the Netanyahus, and even sat in a Tel Aviv restaurant with Tzipi Livni.
Her recent concert at Yarakon Park attracted her fans from all over the world, with rumors of a surprise guest appearance by Justin Timberlake, who co-wrote the album she promoted "Hard Candy."
But even when it turned out that the rumor was probably a ploy to sell last tickets hours before the box office closed, Madonna's show did not disappoint, the children Lourdes and Rocco joined in some of the performances, Guy Ozari thanked the fans and she did not forget to pay her last respects to Michael Jackson, who died a few weeks earlier.
The evening, in the end, left a taste for more.
And as Madonna promised, the next taste was not long in coming.
And now: eternal
Two and a half years later, Madonna opened the tour in Israel to promote the album "MDNA".
This happened just two months after her midway show on the Super Bowl in the US, which attracted 114 million live viewers - more than the football game itself. In the show, which gave a taste of what to expect on the star's next grand tour, Madonna hosted, among others, the rapper Nicki Minaj and the singer C.L. Green, and even offered Adele, who was then considered a relatively new breakthrough artist, to participate in the show, but she politely refused.
During one of her visits to Israel,
"It's the dream of every girl from the Midwest to perform on the Super Bowl stage. I have eight minutes to organize everything, 12 minutes of performance and another seven minutes to leave before the game continues. So I'm very excited, but mostly I'm not calm," she admitted at the press conference a few days ago First, "Of all the things I've done, this is surely the thing that would make my father the happiest. I have nothing to compare the status to, because it's not exactly my world. In high school I was a cheerleader and I enjoyed the performance itself and the choreography. This time I have an entire field at my disposal, where all the madness is concentrated. I I just hope and pray that everything will work out and be amazing."
That middle show went smoothly for Madonna, perhaps even surprisingly, since it was not excessive to expect provocations from her in the form of flirting, political statements or a kiss with Britney Spears.
The one who did get negative headlines the day after the show was the rapper and creator MIA, who was Madonna's guest at the show.
She showed a triple finger to the camera, and was even fined for it.
And apart from the fact that she didn't get the headlines the morning after, Madonna relied on playback, unexciting gimmicks and mostly played it safe - exactly the opposite of expectations.
The tour that opened in the Ramat Gan Stadium in front of 33 thousand people, including fans and media from around the world, also left a familiar taste of tricks that Madonna pulled out of her magic hat again, but this time without the surprise effect.
She revealed a thong, wearing a new interpretation of the cone bra designed for her two decades earlier by Jean Paul Gaultier and incorporating statements against various tyrants and the use of weapons throughout history.
The critics were not really impressed.
For her next concert tour, designed to promote the album "Rebel Heart", Madonna arrived in an improved position and with a spectacular show that I saw in Los Angeles, which unfortunately did not come to Israel.
It had new material with more past hits than ever before and a message of eternity, because the status of an icon cannot be taken away from her, nor an arsenal of hits that she pulls out to the delight of the audience at every opportunity.
Nevertheless, this is a pop artist whose albums have sold 400 million copies.
Along the way, she sips from the fountain of youth and continues to team up with rising pop artists - also to ride on their fame, from Britney, Justin Timberlake and Kanye West to Miley Cyrus and Maluma.
In one of the highlights of that concert in LA - when the audience included names like Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Kevin Latifah, Salma Hayek and Katy Perry - Madonna belted out her hits from the eighties, in a Spanish atmosphere and while wearing a long and colorful flamenco dress.
"In my life I have never worn so many clothes. But what did you expect? That I would expose my butt to you? I have already done that," she told the audience with humor after the performance.
"In L.A. I feel at home, I love this hall, but the lights here are very low and I sweat from the heat. It also seems to me that the ceiling is constantly being lowered, but wait, maybe it's just the ego that keeps growing? There is indeed a feeling of loneliness at the top, but What's for sure - it's really not crowded here!"
is it possible? faking
In the shadow of that stagnation in Madonna's artistic development, the last visit to us will be remembered with a jarring chord, probably more than one.
The reference is of course to her show at Eurovision 2019, which took place in Tel Aviv thanks to Neta Barzilai winning the competition a year earlier.
The best-kept secret ahead of the huge production of the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel was that Madonna herself would appear in half of the broadcast.
In practice, the European Broadcasting Union did not confirm its participation until two days before, only after the contract was officially signed.
On the agenda were, among other things, artistic disputes.
As expected, Madonna chose the platform of a huge broadcaster with hundreds of millions of viewers to speak her mind.
The Israeli and Palestinian flags were seen on the backs of two dancers, contrary to the policy of the European Broadcasting Union regarding political content.
Madonna, for her part, responded the next day briefly and said that "a message of peace is not political."
However, it was not the murmur of Madonna's heart but her vocal cords that made the real noise, with fakes and a performance that was far from impressive.
The pop queen as usual does what she wants, except now it's not so good.
I saw the show up close when I covered Eurovision for the Americans, who showed interest in Europe's oldest singing competition only because of Madonna's presence.
An hour before the start of the broadcast, I received a call from her publicist, Kelly Bush-Novak, who wanted to emphasize that, contrary to reports, Madonna did not receive a penny for the performance.
It was probably a kind of preventive firefighting, before the responsibility for her actions on stage was placed on the organizers.
That terrible performance was revamped in the version of the video that went up on YouTube, but according to many it did a disservice to her next tour, where she took a different approach for the first time.
Instead of huge halls, she switched to performances in intimate theaters and stated that she wanted closeness to the audience, to put emphasis on the show and less on the pyrotechnics.
Fans were also not allowed to bring cell phones in so they could only concentrate on the show, without distractions.
In other words - that they don't record Madonna, who is probably long past her peak.
During the concert tour following the "Madame X" album, Madonna also suffered from injuries, was late to go on stage and canceled quite a few performances, until finally the whole business was prematurely interrupted with the outbreak of the corona virus.
Madonna tried to broadcast the message of rebellion, did not submit to the dictates of society in regards to mature women, spoke out against ageism and misogyny directed towards her, and in the spirit of the album made a complete and final X to all the slanderers who called her to retire.
In the fake Eurovision show,
Madonna's real problem in the last decade is that all her attempts to seemingly not stop what she has done over the years are now playing against her.
She strives to be relevant, thereby imposing upon herself the law of irrelevance;
Overly decorated with jewelry, including on her teeth, wears a patch over her eye and sweats as if to make it clear to us that she is cool.
But if you have to mention, you probably don't.
Or you mostly try to remind yourself.
Madonna's next project will be a biopic that will tell her story.
She will write and direct it.
Emmy winner Julia Garner ("Ozark") is expected to play her character.
The expectations from the film are that at the very least it will commemorate her legacy properly, and at the most it will be a good film.
"I'm looking for interesting and fun ways to re-present my song catalog and introduce my music to a new generation," Madonna said in an interview with Variety magazine last month.
"I've been working for the last few years on the script for a movie about my life. It's very long and I'm trying to shorten it, but it's like taking organs from my body. I'm tired of living in the past. I want to go on tour again. I live on stage, that's where I'm happy. I lived an extraordinary life unusual and I have to make the film unusual. The idea was born as a way to prevent other people from making films about me, especially misogynistic men. I closed the door to them and said that no one will tell my story, except me."
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