2016-02-29-madonna-y101-talks-banner

She has reigned the music industry for over 3 decades.

At 57, Madonna finally graced the Philippines with her presence. The Queen made her first ever concert in Manila as part of her Rebel Heart tour – a live performance most-awaited by numerous Filipino fans. And of course, she did not disappoint. The set itself was already a spectacular vision with a giant cross-like cat-walk with the shape of a big heart at the end, all surrounded by an awesome lights and sound system.

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Madonna began her career in the 80's and quickly rose to fame. She became known for the worldwide hit Like A Virgin which dominated the charts for months. Follow-up hits followed. In that decade, Madonna also rose to be a fashion-trendsetter. As a matter of fact, most of the iconic look of the 80s is actually on her signature look.

It is clear Madonna wields a strong influence over her global audience. As she continued her career in the 90's with hit after hit, Madonna evolved. She rose above being a pop star and a trendsetter. Ingeniously using her craft, Madonna publicly made her stand on sensitive issues, such as feminism and gender equality, abortion, the rights of women and children, among others. She became a very influential advocate of highly disputed issues sparking controversial discussions and social impact. She became a massive game-changer, and this, I believe, is why she is Queen.

I am not surprised that a number of our country's Catholic bishops called on the faithful to boycott the pop diva's sexually charged concert, calling them "the devil's work." "Filipinos and all God-loving people should avoid sin and occasions of sin," Archbishop Ramon Arguelles said in a statement posted on the official website of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

I can perfectly understand why the Catholic Church considers her a threat because of these issues However, I think, in my opinion calling for a boycott of her concert is a bit extreme. People today go to a concert to be entertained, appreciate music and to make memories with it. I'm inclined to believe they already know what the pop queen is all about, and are aware enough to know which of her artistic expressions and opinions they could accept or reject.

With all the constant nauseating finger pointing among our government officials, pointing at Madonna and calling her "evil" hardly demonstrates the stand-out decorum of our religious leaders. Maybe the Catholic Church should take a tip from Madonna and learn how to evolve on how to effectively get their message across.

In closing, I'd like to make a notable note: before her concert, Madonna visited a shelter for abused children and a Catholic orphanage in Manila. Follow her on Instagram to see photos of Madonna and the children.

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