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The Live Event space provides an impressive palette with which to create audio/visual moments that transport the concert-goer to an alternate reality. Solid’s on-stage creative for Madonna’s Confessions Tour is a riveting example of just how that can work. The task at hand was to come up with a 4 1/2 minute animated excursion for the song “Like It or Not”.

The main theme of the song and corresponding creative is a journey through a living-vine garden of eden – a metaphor for the twists and turns of life and love. Our process from the start required a good amount of organization and rigid conceptual rules to give our artists a sound base from which to work from. We broke the song down into its various sections and tied the intensity of the growing vines to the lyrics being sung. We created diagrams and graphs that helped us plan out how the animation would unfold through its multiple chorus, bridge and verse’s. We went through several stages of design, exploring various treatments in terms of photo-realism, color and FX. Getting sign-off from a world renown performer can be a tricky process – Madonna definitely has strong opinions and a clear vision. Ultimately, she was interested in a realistic, minimalist aesthetic – one of several approaches we had sent along.

For the motion, the team used maya and x-frog to build a dynamically growing world. A variety of render passes were used to get the specific look we were going for. Key to our success was the use of a “thread” vine to make the seamless nature of the piece easy to manage. Basically, we started the animation with one vine and one camera, and told the story as well as we could with just that one element. Once that made sense, every additional element seemed to fit right in and give it that extra something.

Madonna’s show used several cutting edge display technologies for the stage. Central to this high-end install was an Element Labs, stealth LED screen – a curved element that creates a unique experience from all sides and has a layered sensibility, allowing viewers to see right through the darker parts of the image. To take advantage of that, we delivered 2 different layers – one for the foreground on the curved Stealth with more of the living, fast paced vine work and one to be used on a background LED screen as a supporting layer. The two layered screens create an intense sense of depth, bringing attendees even deeper into Madonna’s secret garden of eden.

SOLID

Welcome to the brand new version of our website! We (Kimberly, Hans, Onno & Eric) have worked extremely hard behind the scenes in getting this together on time. Everything that could be found on the old website has been transferred and transformed onto this new website, everything is brand new and all of the sections have been improved. To make sure the site was easy to access and easy to browse through, we wanted to make it a website that provides you with everything you need and want to know about Madonna. We also made the choice to focus on publishing everything in the English language as most of our visitors come from the US. We did keep our live reports in both English and Dutch though.

We are still working on it, so it still is not finished, it might be that you miss a section (will be put back asap) and are working on new sections as we speak. We literally have thousands of pages still waiting to be scanned for new additions to the website, so there is a lot more in store for you!

We hope you enjoy the brand new version of MadonnaUnderground, please take your time to browse through every single section and menu item.

Stay tuned for lots and lots more to come!!

With earnings of $125 million, pop singer Madonna is the highest-paid woman in music, easily surpassing Lady Gaga and country-pop singer Taylor Swift, Forbes said on Wednesday.

Her income for the 12-month period used by the magazine also made her the highest-earning celebrity overall, it said. Much of Madonna’s earnings from June 2012 to June 2013 were from her worldwide MDNA Tour, which pulled in $305 million.

But the 55-year-old singer, who jumped from ninth place in 2012, also made money with merchandising sales, her fragrance and from her Material Girl clothing line.

She is “music’s top earner of any genre or gender and the highest-paid celebrity of any stripe,” according to Forbes.

Lady Gaga, with $80 million, jumped from No. 4 to No. 2 this year, despite her Born This Way Ball tour being cut short due to an injury. Gaga, 27, released her album “ARTPOP” after the cut off date for Forbes’ annual earnings calculations.

Swift, 23, dropped from second place in 2012 to third this year. Her $55 million in earnings came from sales of her latest album “Red” as well as endorsement deals, records sales and touring. Forbes compiled the list after estimating pre-tax income based on record sales, concert tickets, touring information merchandise sales and interviews with concert promoters, lawyers and managers.

It also looked at data from the Pollstar trade magazine, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) and tracking firm Nielsen SoundScan. Singer Beyonce, 32, came in fourth, not far behind with $53 million.

The R&B star, who rose two places from last year, was also on the road with her Mrs. Carter World Tour, and earned cash from her House of Dereon clothing line and endorsement deals. Jennifer Lopez, 44, rounded out the top five women with $45 million.

Although her earnings dropped after she left her spot as a judge on the TV singing competition show “American Idol,” she still earned plenty of money from her world tour and the Latin singing competition show “Q’Viva” for the Fox television network.

Country singer and 2005 “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood, 30, was a newcomer to the list at No. 9. Underwood, who played the lead role of Maria in a live version of “The Sound of Music” for television earlier this month, earned $31 million from her latest album “Blown Away” and touring.

The full list can be found at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2013/12/11/the-top-earning-women-in-music-2013/ (Editing by Philip Barbara)

DNA

Madonna is once again a single lady.

The 55-year-old pop star and her boyfriend Brahim Zaibat have broken up, a rep for the singer confirms to E! News. No word on why Madonna and the 25-year-old dancer went their separate ways, but some are speculating the couple ended their three-year relationship because of busy and conflicting schedules.

Zaibat, who worked as a backup dances during Madonna’s recent MDNA world tour, is currently competing on the French version of Dancing With the Stars.

Madonna and Zabat’s last big red carpet appearance together was at the Met Gala in NYC back in May. The former lovebirds walked the carpet together in coordinating punk-inspired outfits and posed for pics as a couple.

The duo was also spotted last week at an NYC Kabbalah center.

Before Zaibat, Madge dated model Jesus Luz. She also has daughter Lourdes with ex Carlos Leon, son Rocco with ex-hubby Guy Ritchie and adopted son and daughter, David and Mercy.

Meanwhile, Madonna recently visited Haiti with her ex-husband Sean Penn. Penn invited his ex to tour the nation with him as part of his J/P Haiti Relief Organization’s earthquake relief efforts.

Madonna’s posted tons of pics of her family trip to the Caribbean island. “The Prime Minister Of Haiti! Laurent Lamothe, A man with a vision and a big heart! @jphro #revolutionoflove,” she captioned one pic of her and Lamothe.

E Online

Madonna’s daughter Lourdes is peachy keen, jellybean!

The 17-year-old hit the stage over the weekend in her New York City high school’s production of “Grease.” She was a cast as Rizzo — a major role memorably played by Stockard Channing on the big screen in 1978. (Lourdes shared the part with another student during the multi-show run.)

The Material Girl’s eldest daughter “smoked cigarettes, chugged wine, and got boy crazy” as the most rebellious, sarcastic, and quotable member of the Pink Ladies in the LaGuardia High School show, reported the New York Daily News. She also showed off her dance moves, grooving to ’50s tunes in front of the ensemble cast, and singing voice, belting out solos including “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee” and “There are Worse Things I Could Do.”
The brunette teen looked remarkably like her famous mother as she danced on stage in a black dress with polka dot detailing and red shoes.

Speaking of mom, Madonna was in the audience for Friday’s performance, bringing her three other children — Instagram lover Rocco, 13, David, 8, and Mercy, 8. During intermission, Madge, who brought Lourdes a bouquet of flowers, stepped outside the auditorium and was seen standing next to a wall playing with her phone. After the show, she left with the aspiring thespian, who still had on her stage makeup.

In the program, the teen, who goes by Lola, gave a shout out to her mother and father, personal trainer Carlos Leon, who also took in the show. Her bio said: “She would like to thank her parents for giving her guidance and love and supporting her passions wholeheartedly.”

This is Lourdes’s last year at the prestigious public school, which was made famous by the 1980 movie “Fame.” It was there that she met her boyfriend, “Homeland” alum Timothee Chalamet, though next year she’ll be shoving off to college.

Late last month, Madonna and Lourdes visited University of Michigan, the school the “Like a Virgin” singer briefly attended before moving to New York and hitting the big time. While on campus, they checked out the School of Music, Theater and Dance, making it quite obvious where Lourdes’s passions lie.

Well, as the song goes, there are worse things she could do …

Yahoo

(no English translation available)

Het hof van beroep van Bergen heeft maandag de debatten rond het dossier ‘Acquaviva’ tegen Madonna opnieuw geopend. De componist uit Moeskroen, Salvatore Acquaviva, had enkele jaren geleden een gerechtelijk geding aangespannen tegen de zangeres omdat hij van mening was dat het liedje ‘Frozen’ grotendeels gekopieerd was van zijn liedje ‘Ma vie fout l’camp’.
Het woord was maandag aan de advocaten van de muziekhuizen van Madonna. Ze vinden nog steeds dat het verzoek van de componist, de verkoop van het nummer in België te verbieden, geen grond heeft. De vraag of Madonna het liedje ‘Ma vie fout l’camp’ heeft gehoord tijdens een mogelijk verblijf in Moeskroen in de jaren zeventig, berust volgens de advocaten van Warner, EMI en Sony op geen enkel serieus bewijs.

In 2005 besliste een rechter in Bergen dat vier maten uit ‘Frozen’ (1998) plagiaat waren van Salvatore Acquaviva’s ‘Ma vie fout le camp’, dat hij eind jaren zeventig gecomponeerd had. Van haar toenmalige verzamel-cd ‘Celebration’ werd een exclusieve Belgische editie geproduceerd, zonder het verboden nummer. Op de tracklist van ‘Celebration’ stond ‘Frozen’ bij de nummers die Madonna zelf geselecteerd had.

‘Als we die ‘Best of’ niet mogen uitbrengen in België, zitten we met een gigantisch budgetprobleem’, zei marketing manager Bert Bieseman toen. ‘Toch kunnen we het risico niet lopen de cd mét het nummer erop in de winkels te leggen, want de boetes die ons dan boven het hoofd hangen, zijn enorm.’ De drie betrokken muziekhuizen tekenden toen beroep aan.

Op 16 december worden de debatten voortgezet.

De Standaard

Lourdes Leon, 17, takes on the role of Betty Rizzo at the school production in Manhattan on Friday. Watching in the audience was her mother, Madonna, with kids, Rocco, David and Mercy and friends.

Madonna’s teen daughter Lourdes smoked cigarettes, chugged wine and got boy crazy in front of hundreds of people on Friday.But it was all just an act.

Lola, as she’s known, made her debut as the rule-breaking Betty Rizzo in LaGuardia High School’s production of “Grease.”

She shares the part with another student, sophomore Talia R. Bornstein, in the show running through Dec. 15.

Lourdes ‘Lola’ Leon with Madonna following behind at LaGuardia High School Friday night.

In the program, Lola Leon, 17, gave shout-outs to her mom and dad, personal trainer and performer Carlos Leon.
“She would like to thank her parents,” she noted in her bio, “for giving her guidance and love and supporting her passions wholeheartedly.”

Lola might have also thanked her superstar mother for her star-power DNA and fashion sense. But instead of mom’s iconic cone bra, Lola rocked the Eisenhower-era costumes in the show set in 1959 at Rydell High School.

Rizzo is the sarcastic Pink Lady who has no time for good girls or need for a glass when it comes to booze.
“Drink it out of the bottle,” Lola growled in character, while holding cheap vino. “We ain’t got cooties.”

But Rizzo needs to sing and dance, too. And Lola, who was terrific at both, found the comedy in her Act I solo, “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee.” She also dug for something deeper and found it in “There are Worse Things I Could Do.”
In the audience was her mother, Madonna, with kids, Rocco, David and Mercy and friends. Lola’s Carlos also attended the show.
Madonna was an appreciative audience throughout the show, at times laughing at her daughter’s antics, and at one point she and her friend took a picture of another actor during the song, “Mooning.” The proud mom had a big bouquet of white roses resting in her lap for her daughter, and she and Leon shared a kiss after the performance.
Lola blended into a high-energy ensemble led by Tommaso Di Blasi as Danny Zuko and Julia Dean and Victoria Johnson, who alternate as the goody-goody Sandy Dumbrowski.
jdziemianowicz@nydailynews.com

Read more: https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/madonna-daughter-plays-part-grease-article-1.1540569#ixzz2mmtyFqys

Madonna has confirmed David Blaine as the December guest curator for Art for Freedom. Guest curators collaborate with Madonna to select daily submissions to be showcased on artforfreedom.com.

“Madonna, who has always been an incredible inspiration, invited me to be a part of Art for Freedom. It’s an amazing platform to bring artists together and I look forward to seeing the brilliance this generates.”

“I am excited David is signing on as guest curator. This is only the beginning of Art for Freedom bringing artists together to change the world.” commented Madonna.

As part of the Art For Freedom initiative, David Blaine will work with Madonna to select one artist from their respective month whose creative expression demonstrates a unique view of the fight for human rights. Madonna will then award a $10,000 grant to a nonprofit organization of the winning artist’s choice. All projects must be focused on the values of Art For Freedom.

The latest freedom fighters chosen to receive an Art for Freedom grant are Amber Fares and the Speed Sisters – a documentary about the Middle East’s first all women motor racing team. Against a backdrop of social and political upheaval, Speed Sisters presents an inspiring look into the drive to be true to oneself. The grant will go towards finishing the film. You can see more on the project here – https://vimeo.com/79217415

Launched in September 2013, Art For Freedom is a global digital initiative, led by Madonna in partnership with VICE Media, designed to fuel free speech – to respond, address and protest persecution and discrimination around the world. It is an online public art project encouraging people to express their personal meaning of freedom and revolution, in the form of video, music, poetry, and photography. Public submissions become part of the Art For Freedom website: contributors can join the project by uploading original artwork or tagging original posts #artforfreedom. The project was launched with the film secretprojectrevolution, co-directed by Madonna and Steven Klein.

VICE Media continues to serve as co-curator of Art for Freedom, leveraging VICE’s extensive global network of filmmakers, artists, writers, musicians, museums, and more, to contribute works to the project.