American pop icon Madonna celebrated her 51st birthday with 80 000 Polish fans on Saturday 15 August, during her concert at Bemowo Airport in Warsaw. Waving handmade white paper hearts, the fans sung "Happy Birthday" in both English and Polish ("Sto Lat").
This was the first time the legendary singer has performed in Poland, though her welcome in some circles was not exactly warm. Since her Warsaw performance was announced many months ago, protest and controversy has surrounded the event. Catholic groups in particular, have voiced their outrage through protests both online and on the streets, condemning Madonna's risque lyrics, performances, and general persona as especially offensive to Catholics and Poles.
The Polish rumour mill went into overdrive on Friday last week, as gossip began to spread of Madonna's controversial plans to visit Auschwitz, the former concentration camp in Oswiecim, Poland (near Krakow). Fans and journalists alike waited outside the entrance to the historic site in vain however, as Madonna instead landed directly in Warsaw and had apparently never planned the trip anyway.
Protests continued on the day of the concert, but it seems both Madonna and thousands of her Polish fans were undeterred. Over the nearly two hour-long performance, Madonna performed hits from her recent studio album Candy Shop as well as reworked versions of her classics such as "Vogue", "Into the Groove", "Holiday" and "Like a Prayer".
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