Is Madonna Working on a Secret Rap Album?
One of the worst feeling in the world, aside from being hangover, is when you accurately predicted something but kept quiet.
We’ve all been there. Maybe it’s the surprise ending of a movie only you saw coming, or maybe it’s a football game ending on an onside kick, but everyone has said, “I was going to say that!” at least a million times. The worst part? Nobody believes you and assumes you were lying. Why should they?
To read the full article please visit DJBOOTH
John Daly: What You Can Learn from Madonna About Mastering Your Brand
I’ve been really focused on creating personal images and branding with my students of late. So, when I heard two radio personalities discussing Madonna, I was fascinated to learn that her dominance of the pop genre is the reason that virtually every performer (male and female) puts her on their Top 10 Greatest Talent list. Nowadays Lady Gaga and Beyoncé get all of the attention, but Madonna was the original that these talented artists used for inspiration. She became a master at creating her brand and message and never lost sight of her goals.
This led me to do some research about Madonna and what drove her success. Here’s what I discovered.
Click HERE for full article by Noozhawk
Dianne Houston Tapped to Adapt Rebecca Walker’s ‘Adé: A Love Story’ for Madonna to Direct
Here is some very interesting news…
Madonna is set to direct a screen adaptation of the novel “Adé: A Love Story,” based on real life events of its author Rebecca Walker (daughter of Alice Walker). In the novel, a female 19-year old American student – black, white, and Jewish like the author herself – who sets out to travel with her friend to Egypt, and ends in Lamu, off the coast of Kenya. There, she falls in love with a handsome Swahili muslim man named Adé, who names her Farida. Conflict arises when the couple, who plan to marry and live in Kenya, are caught in the midst of a civil war that threatens their union.
Initially announced in March of this year, the project has now found its writer in African American writer/director Dianne Houston (photo above), whose resume includes directing episodes of several TV shows, going back many years, including “Strong Medicine,” “NYPD Blue,” “Crossing Jordan,” “City of Angels,” and most recently, “Single Ladies.” He writing credits include the feature film “Take the Lead,” the 2006 dance drama that starred Antonio Banderas, Rob Brown, Yaya DaCosta, Alfre Woodard and others. She also helmed TV movies “Knights of the South Bronx,” and “Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story,” both in the 1990s.
The film adaptation of “Adé” will be produced by Bruce Cohen, whom you might recall shared a Best Picture Oscar for the film “American Beauty,” and also produced the films “Milk” with Sean Penn, as well as the acclaimed hit “Silver Linings Playbook.” Cohen will produce through his Bruce Cohen Productions company with Jessica Leventhal, his director of development, and author Rebecca Walker.
This will be Madonna’s directorial follow-up to the 2011 feature film “W.E.,” about the relationship between British King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.
Here’s more about the book from the hardcover edition, courtesy of Amazon: “In a fiction debut that is as much a novel of self-discovery and identity as a lucent love story, memoirist Walker brings her background and literary strengths to bear. When the 19-year-old unnamed narrator and her Yale friend, Miriam, start their long travels, arriving in Africa becomes life-changing. In Egypt, the narrator feels she belongs for the first time, with her copper-colored skin and brown, almond-shaped eyes. Then in Lamu, an island off the coast of Kenya, she falls in love with handsome Swahili Muslim Adé, who gives her the Arabic name Farida. As Miriam resumes traveling alone, Farida and Adé live together simply and make plans to marry. But Swahili custom requires face-to-face meetings to ask for parental approval, and political realities strike previously entitled American Farida for the first time. Walker knows whereof she writes. Farida, like the author (daughter of novelist Alice Walker and lawyer Mel Levanthal), is black, white, and Jewish and a child of divorce, and Walker uses this knowledge to good effect here. A brief, sensuous love story grounded in painful reality.”
Anyone read the novel yet?
If you’d like to pick up a copy, do so here.
Taken from an article by Indiewire
Anna Wintour Admits Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Weren’t a ‘Deeply Tasteful’ Choice for a Vogue Cover, but That’s the Point!
Anna Wintour knew darn well that putting Kim Kardashian and Kanye West on Vogue’s April 2014 cover would be controversial.
That’s the whole point!
“I see the role of Vogue to reflect what’s going on in the culture,” the magazine’s editor in chief told Fashionista last night when asked about the decision to feature the then-betrothed couple in wedding garb so prominently. “The first celebrity that I put on the cover of Vogue was Madonna, and that was considered completely controversial at the time, too. It’s such a long time ago probably no one remembers, but she was a very controversial figure. Now she’s part of the establishment.”
(To jog some memories, a very brunette Madonna Ciccone graced Vogue’s cover in 1989, ahead of the eponymous hit tune.)
Taken from an article by E Online
Madonna Movie ‘Adé: A Love Story’ Finds Its Writer (Exclusive)
Dianne Houston (‘Take the Lead’) has signed on to adapt Rebecca Walker’s memoir for a film that is now seeking financial backers
Dianne Houston (Take the Lead) has signed on to adapt Rebecca Walker’s memoir for the big screen, marking Madonna’s next directing project.
The film centers on a 19-year-old American student raised in a Christian and Jewish home who travels to Africa and falls in love with a young Muslim man on an island off the coast of Kenya. Their hastily made plans to marry, however, get blown away by cultural and political forces. Walker, who also hails from a Christian-Jewish home, is the daughter of The Color Purple author Alice Walker.
Bruce Cohen, Jessica Leventhal and Walker are producing. CAA, which reps Madonna, will be taking the project out to financiers in the coming weeks.
Adé marks Madonna’s follow up to the period romance W.E., which was released by The Weinstein Company in 2011. The book was published in 2013 by Amazon’s Little A imprint.
Houston, who has an untitled Missy Elliott project in the works, is repped by Kaplan-Stahler Agency.
Taken from an article by Hollywood Reporter
Meet Carlton Wilborn at mega record and cd fair in Utrecht – official event poster
All Madonna fans don’t miss the opportunity to Meet & Greet Madonna’s Lead Dancer, actor Carlton Wilborn at Jaarbeurs Utrecht at 22 & 23 November. This is Carlton’s 1st ever autograph show appearance!
For more information on the event at the mega record and cd fair visit www.recordplanet.nl
Don’t forget to use our discount code when purchasing tickets (find this at our Schedule section)
The Power of Reinvention: Entrepreneurial Lessons from Madonna
Madonna is an iconic figure and stellar entrepreneur.
Whether or not you like her music, her style, or how she goes about getting the attention she does, there’s one thing for sure: she’s always known how to break the rules of her industry, tread her own path, and dare to reinvent herself time and time again.
Madonna teaches us the power of reinvention: and that is the power we’re diving into today.
The power of reinvention takes two forms:
1. Daring to take risks
2. Daring to Change what you do, and how you do it.
Let’s start with the power of daring to take risks:
Often in business we want to stay on the safe line. The safe line is where we won’t get too much backlash. We don’t reveal too much, we don’t swear, we don’t say something that might offend, we keep it safe.
We keep it safe not because that’s what our heart and soul believes but because it’s what we think is safe and will help us gather the clients and business foundation we need to flourish.
Click HERE to read full article by Huffington Post
15 pop facts you probably didn’t know about Band Aid 20
6. Madonna gave an introduction the video, explaining the cause and its importance, and reliving her experience at Live Aid 20 years before.
Read more: https://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/feature/a610603/15-pop-facts-you-probably-didnt-know-about-band-aid-20.html#~oVX7EkRm1jTJvL#ixzz3JPG6Z6bi
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Madonna teams up with Kanye West for her new album
We hear Madonna is teaming up with the rapper on a track for her new album, and Kanye, of course, thinks he is the key to her comeback success.
Madge, 56, met the Yeezus star, 37, at a charity gala in New York last month and the pair got chatting about a potential collaboration. An insider told us: “Kanye and Madonna hit it off at the Keep A Child Alive ball and have been in touch ever since.
Perfect “Kanye has already written some songs he thinks would be perfect for her, and he’s desperately trying to find a time they can both get into the recording studio.
“He wants to make her cutting edge and relevant again, and he’d love nothing more than to produce some classic songs for her.
“Madonna is one of the greatest stars of the past 30 years. And now Kanye is desperate to put her back at the very top. “
He loves the way she always reinvents herself.” It looks like Madge’s new album is set to be a corker already – she’s also been working with Nicki Minaj, 31, and Diplo, 36. But will there be enough room for so much ego in one recording studio?
To read more visit Daily Star
Update on Carlton Wilbron meet & greet at mega record and cd fair in Utrecht
Just a quick update on Carlton Wilborn’s appearance (signing / meet & greet) at the mega record and cd fair in Utrecht this coming weekend at the Jaarbeurs.
Previously communicated were the times 11am-3pm on both days, these are incorrect.
Carlton will be signing on Saturday from 9am – closing time
Carlton will be signing on Sunday from 11am until around 3
He will be doing the meet & greet in Hall 11, this is right next to Hall 12 where you can visit the mega record and cd fair
Do not miss the opportunity to meet this iconic dancer!
Keep an eye on MadonnaUnderground for more updates on Carlton throughout the week leading up to the record fair.
Meet Madonna dancer Carlton Wilborn at the Mega record and CD Fair in Utrecht!
Great news for all Madonna fans coming to the mega record and CD fair in Utrecht on November 22 and 23.
Carlton Wilborn, one of Madonna’s most fabulous dancers will be present for a meet & greet with all the fans in a special signing corner in Hal 11
Carlton Wilborn performed in the Blond Ambition Tour as well as in The Girlie Show where he also helped with the choreo. He also stars in the legendary ‘Vogue’ video and the MTV Video Music Awards performance of ‘Vogue’.
Every Madonna fan knows what an absolutely amazing dancer Carlton is, you now get the chance to meet him face to face!
He will be present at the fair on Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 3pm
Carlton Wilborn started out as a principle dancer with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and as the lead dancer with MADONNA for two world tours, has performed before twenty thousand people at Madison Square Garden and eighty thousand at Wembley Stadium in London. Carlton brings his artistic passion and dancer’s discipline to film making. He is also an accomplished writer, having received the USA Book News – Best Book Award for his autobiography Front & Center – How I Learned to Live There. He was recently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for his starring role on one season of famous tv serie “THE MENTALIST”, and received the Best Actor Award from the NYLA International Film Festival for his compelling work in “The Boarder”. As a producer he’s garnered the 2013 Award of Merit from the Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywoood for the trailer to his soon to be released feature film (action drama) “Breakout”. Carlton has appeared in over twenty film, TV and stage projects, including Madonna’s documentary feature Truth or Dare.
Also he was also in many popular movies such as ”Demolition Man” with Sylvester Stallone , ”Made Men” with James Belushi , ”The Hoax” with Richard Gere & tv shows such as CSI Miami , NYPD Blue , Fame , NCIS ,The Mentalist.
Carlton Wilborn began his professional career as a principal dancer with the world renowned Hubbard Street Dance Company in Chicago. Combining street savvy and urban sensibilities with an inherent elegance and commitment to integrity, he naturally commands the stage. As a dancer, actor, and writer, he is a force to be reckoned with; and as a choreographer, director, and dance instructor, he guides the pursuits of fellow artists with the same level of excellence and creativity he brings to his own craft.
After working as a soloist for five consecutive years in Ruth Page’s Nutcracker, and as a resident guest artist for nine months with Ballet Met, Carlton followed his internal compass to Hollywood. He rapidly became recognized as one of the city’s premiere dancers, landing the position of Madonna’s pillar of strength for the Blond Ambition and The Girlie Show tours.
Throughout his career, he has worked with many distinguished artists and entertainment legends such as Herb Alpert, Natalie Cole, Janet Jackson and Michael Jackson; choreographer Twyla Tharp; legendary photographer Herb Ritts; Tony Award-winning director George C. Wolfe, and powerhouse producer Joel Silver, among many others.
For more information visit www.recordplanet.nl
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0928087/
https://abraxastalent.com/?page_id=3281
https://www.carltonwilborn.com/
Madonna & The Beastie Boys Wish You A Very Happy #TBT
It’s #TBT, everyone. This means that it’s time to “throw back” — and if we don’t, the Internet police will bust through our doors, Minority Report style, and lock us up in Internet jail. We’ll wind up next to the chronic Facebook inviter and that dude who retweets everything.
To ensure our freedom, we’re not just going to “throw back” to that time we ran into Stephen Colbert at a Rite Aid. No. We’re going to throw it back all the way to the ’80s — back when people wore neon and Madonna was still just a virgin. (Or, at least when she was acting like one — who’d been touched for the very first time, mind you.) For our very special #TBT, we’re revealing a wonderfully candid moment from Madonna’s first-ever tour, The Virgin Tour.
Below, you’ll see Madge herself clowning around with the tour’s opening act — a little known outfit called the Beastie Boys. While it took a while for Madonna’s fans to warm up to the New York City rappers (they eventually did) judging by this photo, it looks like Madonna dug them right away. That is one show we wish we’d seen.
Now back to building that time machine…
Photo: REX USA/Goncalo Silva/NurPhoto/Rex.
10 Things Millennials Don’t Understand About Madonna
It seems hard to believe, but Madonna‘s second studio album Like a Virgin turns 30 today. The groundbreaking pop LP did more than establish the Material Girl — single No. 2 off the record — as a cultural phenomenon, it defined a decade. After Virgin, Madonna became a style and music icon; her rough-and-tumble yet glam look was mimicked by teens around the world. With the record, Madonna became arguably the world’s first dance-pop superstar. Oh, and the best.
Read full article at VH1
Isabella Rossellini: ‘Sex’ Wasn’t Shocking Because Madonna Was ‘Too Beautiful, Too Perfect’
In 1992, actress-model Isabella Rossellini made headlines when she collaborated with Madonna on what was to become the Material Girl’s most controversial project to date, the Sex book.
HuffPost Live’s Ryan Buxton grilled Rossellini on her feelings on Madonna’s Sex now, 22 years after its release. In recent years, the star, now 62, has been critical of the book, calling it “moralistic” in its approach to the subject matter.
“I was delighted to be able to work with [photographer Steven Meisel] and I was delighted to work with Madonna, because she’s a very interesting woman,” she said. “I wanted to be part of it when they asked me to be part of it.”
As for the final product, she said, “If you see a businessman — or me, an older woman — naked, there is a vulnerability. I thought that the book lacked that.”
She added, “Madonna was almost too beautiful, too perfect … too shaped, to have that vulnerability or the sense of shock that a regular, more normal, not so professional fitted body, could convey.”
Madonna: The 1985 ‘Like a Virgin’ Cover Story
(This bulleted interview was originally published in the May 1985 issue of SPIN.)
Trash
I like to look the way Ronnie Spector sounded: sexy, hungry, totally trashy. I admire her tonal quality. I don’t have a deep, throaty voice or a womanish voice when I sing. I think my voice sounds innocent and sexual at the same time. That’s what I try to tell people, anyway; but they always misconstrue what I mean when I say “sexual innocence.” They look at me and go, “innocent, huh?” They think I’m trash.
Sexcess
I couldn’t be a success without also being a sex symbol. I’m sexy. How can I avoid it? That’s the essence of me. I would have to have a bag over my head and over my body; but then my voice would come across, and it’s sexy.
READ MORE at SPIN