SimplyAbuDhabi VII

1 0 0 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I But despite all of this, it’s still 53-year-oldMadonna’s earth-shattering live show that draws the crowds: young and old, time and again. So imagine how delighted we were when we learned that the gloriously talented singer would be visiting the majestic Du Arena on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island as part of her MDNA tour. “Over the moon” just doesn’t even come close to how we felt before the event, and we were ecstatic during and after it. The excitement and memories still linger on. Lavish production You may remember from our account in the last issue of Simply Abu Dhabi how thrilled we were on our last visit to this spectacular stadium to see the legendary Elton John perform. We were absolutely delighted to be returning – flying in on a private jet borrowed from a close friend in the Emirate. If this was possible, we were looking forward to this concert even more than the last one – and it was clear that others were similarly excited. A massive 25,000 were estimated to have attended. The crowd were wild with excitement, and with good reason – people were about to see one of the finest performers in the world strut her stuff. This showwas the biggest that organiser Flash Entertainment had ever hosted – and the production was also surely among the most lavish. We were all expecting it to be sublime. Madonna has come a long way since her humble origins in Bay City, Michigan, where she was born in 1958. Her latest tour, MDNA, has the same name as her triumphant latest album, which reached number one in the USA, the UK and many other countries. And this follows a series of equally acclaimed recordings. Madonna released her first album in 1983 – the eponymous Madonna. Her next album was hugely successful and she has never looked back. In 1985 she toured the US, supported by massively popular hip-hip group the Beastie Boys. And in total she has released twelve albums, each one showcasing her unsurpassable talent. To us, she seems to get better with each new release. There was a massive level of anticipation as we waited for Madonna to enter the stage. And when she