all about Madonna

HAMISH ROBERTSON: The singer Madonna is due in Israel later this week, not as part of her performance tour, but to join thousands of practitioners of the Orthodox Jewish mysticism known as Kabbalah.
The gathering has been organised by a Los Angeles based centre popularised by Rabbi Philip Berg.
Kabbalah has attracted a string of high profile stars, many of whom wear a signature piece of red string around their wrist.
But as Middle East Correspondent Jane Hutcheon reports, many Orthodox Jewish rabbis are offended by Madonna’s ties to the faith.
(sound of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin”)
JANE HUTCHEON: Since the chameleon-like performer burst on to the world stage in the ’80s, she’s published a book about sex, been photographed nude and sworn on TV talk shows.
Earlier this year, she kissed pop idol Britney Spears on the mouth in front of millions of viewers at an awards night.
But if you ask artist David Friedman, who’s practiced Kabbalah for 25 years, Madonna’s past behaviour doesn’t stop her from observing this now-fashionable Jewish faith.
DAVID FRIEDMAN: I’m very open-minded. And I think somebody who lives in Hollywood, who’s in a very, she was the material girl, to discover that there is also a spiritual realm, the body is the entirety of the human being, I think that’s encouraging.
JANE HUTCHEON: There isn’t actually anything new age about Kabbalah. Translated from Hebrew, it means “reception” and is thousands of years old. Practitioners study a text called the Zohar, which delves into the innermost soul of a Jew.
In a sign of affection for the faith, Madonna adopted a Hebrew name “Esther” but she was born a Catholic, and many Orthodox Jews believe a Goy “or non-Jew” has no place studying Kabbalah.
Rabbi Yzchak Bazri.
(Sound of Yzchak Bazri speaking)
“It’s forbidden for a Goy to learn Kabbalah. He has to learn and known the Jewish bible first. Kabbalah is the highest form of Judaism, and those who practice it need to be extremely spiritual, modest and wise, surrounding themselves with holiness and purity.
(sound of Madonna’s “Material Girl”)
In the eyes of Rabbi Bazri, whose father was one of Jerusalem’s most renowned Kabbalists, the material girl can’t be in the club. But the real Kabbalah appears to have little to do with the new age phenomenon packaged and sold, often at a hefty price, by the Los Angeles-based Kabbalah Centre.
A piece of red string, tied around the wrist to get rid of the evil eye retails for nearly $50, and other inspirational products command similarly exorbitant price tags. But Kabbalist and artist David Friedman says the spirit of Kabbalah is there for everyone, including Esther, AKA Madonna.
DAVID FRIEDMAN: If you believe in something, even if it’s a sugar pill, but if you believe it’s something that’s going to cure your illness, the power of faith is also something not to take lightly.
JANE HUTCHEON: Fresh from her latest tour, entitled “Reinvention”, Madonna’s presence in Israel is likely to cause more than a stir. Rabbi Bazri has some advice for her.
(sound of Yzchak Bazri speaking)
“I don’t think her school knows about Kabbalah. But if she comes here she’ll find pure, honest people. They will not accept her with her clothes, she must come with different ones.”
The mother of two is said to be funding Kabbalah schools in New York and London, and though her low-key visit is likely to raise a few eyebrows, perhaps the purists realise that new age fads are just part of life.
(sound of Madonna’s “American Life”)
This is a modestly-dressed Jane Hutcheon in Jerusalem, for Correspondents Report.
HAMISH ROBERTSON: The latest enthusiasm of the sometimes not-so-modestly dressed Madonna.
source : abc.net.au

source : madonnamegacollection.net

Madonna got out of the groove with CBS, where plans for a concert featuring the Material Girl have been scrapped. Eye, which announced the special at its upfront presentation in New York last May, had planned to air a Madonna concert from her current “Reinvention” tour…
source : variety.com

Madonna’s latest children’s book, Yakov and the Seven Thieves, does not purport to be Jewish. Sure, it has the earmarks of a Jewish children’s tale “inspired by the Baal Shem Tov,” and takes place in 18th-century Ukraine, with the main character going by the name Yakov.
But this tale is universal in nature, and its illustrations (which resemble a Christmas wonderland more than a stark Ukrainian shtetl) are indicative enough of this fact. The Baal Shem Tov was probably unfamiliar with the Ukraine as rendered by illustrator Gennady Spirin, who was born on Christmas in a small city near Moscow, as his bio explains.
The opening pages most starkly depict the schizophrenic nature of the book: on one side a yoga-esque, Kabbala-inspired illustration, on the other an elaborate cover page which evokes the traditional Christmas spirit. Regardless of the blurry line between these two traditions, Madonna has produced a beautifully illustrated book with a message of morality and potential for redemption that any parent would be comfortable espousing.
In the story, a cobbler named Yakov prays that his son Mikhail will recover from a mysterious illness. His wife Olga urges him to seek the advice of a wise old man who people say “speaks to angels… [and] can perform miracles.” When Yakov arrives, the elderly man he meets looks not unlike famous renderings of Moses. The sage scratches his beard and, after one failed attempt, recruits his grandson to gather all the thieves of the village to pray for the sick child. They comply, on their knees in pew-like prayer, and Mikhail miraculously recovers.
The moral of the story?
“Thieves represent the things in us that are bad or wrong or selfish… when we turn away from our naughty behavior and embrace good deeds… we are turning the key and unlocking the gates of heaven.”
But have the thieves been genuinely altered by this brush with benevolence? One must read the book to find out.
If there is a kabbalistic message in this tale, it is of the absurdly watered down variety that has become so trendy among American celebrities. Whatever the kabbalistic infusion, and whatever the author’s scandalous reputation, however, Yakov and the Seven Thieves is a quality children’s book that will transport both parent and child to another place and time and, in few short pages, delight.
For Israeli consumers, Kinneret is publishing an Israeli edition of this title in Hebrew, along with all of Madonna’s books.
source : jpost.com

The Beatles are the only British act to feature in the UK Music Hall Of Fame.
The hall, which will be focus of a channel 4 programme scheduled for autumn, features acts such as Elvis Presley, Madonna, U2 and Bob Marley.
The programme will present artists chosen by a panel and voted for by the public who have made the utmost contribution to “UK music culture”.
The panel included Sir George Martin, Trevor Nelson, Paul Gambaccini, Blur bassist Alex James, former Eurythmic Dave Stewart, Manchester legend Tony Wilson and Glastonbury festival organiser Emily Eavis.
Gambaccini said the list would obviously be a talking point and for some a bone of contention.
“There will be one or two names conspicuous by their absence, but that’s the nature of the beast,” he said. Adding that the UK was one of the few countries to “punch above its weight” in the music industry.
Malcolm Gerrie, head of production company Initial, told BBC News Online: “It’s to do with fantastic music that will be there forever and the impact and resonance they’ve had.”
The programme will take the form of five two hour shows on Channel 4, in which viewers will be given the chance to vote for 10 more inductees to the hall.
The programmes will all feature a specific decade, with a choice of potential inductees from each decade.
source : gigwise.com

Another classic Madonna hit ended up on a compilation.
The song Take a bow originally from the 1994 album Bedtime Stories will be used on the forthcoming hit-compilation Kuschelrock that will be released in Germany on September 20.

Pop star Madonna drew massive applause from a sold-out crowd in Paris when she dedicated her version of John Lennon’s peace ode Imagine to the Russian hostage crisis. Addressing the audience midway through her show last night, Madonna spoke briefly about the tragedy at a Russian school that left at least 350 dead, including pupils, teachers and mothers. As video images of war and children were broadcast behind her on giant screens, the pop diva urged her fans at Paris’ Bercy stadium to think about what happened in Russia and to think about Lennon’s lyrics.
source : scotsman.com

On September 13th Radio ZET will launch a huge advertising campaign starring pop singer Madonna. The campaign took 10 months to put together and will be the first one in history to use the most popular scenes from Madonna’s legendary videos: Vogue, Material Girl, Frozen, Hollywood etc. “We managed to do the impossible,” said Radio ZET’s president Robert Kozyra. Madonna’s partner in the commercials will be famous actor Zbigniew Zamachowski.
source : wbj.pl

Madonna’s video “Love Profusion” is nominated in 2004 MTV Russian Music Awards, in the Best International artist category.
Other Nominees are : Anastacia – Left Outside Alone, Britney Spears – Toxic , The Rasmus – In The Shadows and Linkin Park -Numb.

Here is some good news for all beer drinkers, you can now order a bottle with pop icon Madonna’s picture on it, called the ‘Material Girl Ale.’
According to The Sun, launched by the British brewers JW Lees, the new range of the ale has 7.5 percent alcohol content and the brewers describe its flavor as ‘nutty and fruity.’
JW Lees has currently released three hundred bottles of the ale and they say that they have made the brew in order to commemorate Madonna’s first concert in Manchester, which is a part of her re-invention tour, after a gap of 10 years.
The makers call the collection ‘Material Girl Ale” and they presented a crate to Madonna before a recent gig in Paris.
“We brewed the ale to mark Madonna’s return to Manchester after ten years. She played the Hacienda in 1994 and we thought that it would be a good way to mark her first gig back in Manchester. We know she likes an ale and thought this one was a little bit special,” the report quoted a spokesperson for J W Lees as saying.
source : ANI