‘Madonna’s umbrella’, which did not belong to the singer, is rescued by fans on the web and becomes a collector’s item
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Madonna’s arrival in Brazil after more than 10 years is a special moment for fans. The queen of pop’s admirers have been taking advantage of the anticipation for the show by recycling pieces in her honor that have been kept for so long. One of them, found on social media, has a curious story: the “Madonna umbrella”, a craze in the 1990s.
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1 of 30 Madonna wearing the Brazil shirt at the second show in Rio (12/15/2008) — Photo: Mirelle de França
2 of 30 Madonna with Gerard Butler and Rodrigo Santoro in the Sapucaí box in 2010 — Photo: video reproduction
3 of 30 Madonna in the Vigario Geral favela — Photo: Cezar Loureiro Agencia O Globo4 of 30 Madonna at the rehearsal for “W” magazine at the Hotel Gloria with a copy of EXTRA — Photo: reproduction5 of 30 Madonna with Paolla Oliveira, Gerard Butler and Rodrigo Santoro in the Sapucaí box in 2010 — Photo: reproduction/video6 of 30 Madonna Caetano Veloso visiting Rio in 2017 — Photo: reproduction7 of 30 Madonna even knelt before Caetano Veloso at a pre-wedding event. — Photo: reproduction8 of 30 Madonna visits the community of Santa Marta, in Botafogo, south zone of Rio accompanied by the governor of Rio de Janeiro Sérgio Cabral and the first lady Adriana Ancelmo — Photo: André Coelho/Agência O Globo.9 of 30 Madonna accompanied by her Brazilian boyfriend Jesus leave a Japanese restaurant in Horto in 2009 — Photo: Marco Antonio Teixeira / Agencia O Globo10 of 30 In 2009, Madonna visited Favela Dona Marta in Botafogo together with Govenardor Sergio Cabral. — Photo: Luis Alvarenga/Extra/Agência O Globo.11 of 30 In 2009, singer Madonna visits Favela Dona Marta in Botafogo together with Govenardor Sergio Cabral — Photo: Luis Alvarenga/Extra/Agência O Globo.12 of 30 The singer Madonna and Jesus Luz at the Rappa show at Circo Voador — Photo: TV Reproduction13 of 30 Carnival 2010: Cabana da Brahma/ Jesus Luz and Madonna — Photo: Berg Silva / Agência O Globo.14 of 30 The singer Madonna and Jesus Luz at the Rappa show at Circo Voador in 2010 — Photo: TV Reproduction15 of 30 Madonna, Dilma, Sergio Cabral and Eduardo Paes in Sérgio Cabral’s box – Jesus Luz with Mercy on his lap — Photo: Marcelo Carnaval / Agência O Globo16 of 30 Carnival 2010: Brahma Box – Jesus Luz and Madonna. — Photo: Berg Silva17 of 30 Madonna and Jesus Luz at W — Photo: PHOTO / DISCLOSURE18 of 30 Madonna rehearsal at W with Jesus Luz — Photo: Steven Klein/ Reproduction19 of 30 In 1993, Madonna sang wearing a Flamengo shirt. — Photo: Ivo Gonzalez / Agência O Globo20 of 30 In 1993, Madonna sang wearing a Flamengo shirt — Photo: Ivo Gonzalez / Agência O Globo21 of 30 Madonna show in 1993 at Maracanã — Photo: Ivo Gonzalez / Ag O Globo22 of 30 Madonna show in Rio in 1993: Fábio Assunção and Cristiana Oliveira, both wearing the show shirt. — Photo: Archive / Ag O Globo.23 of 30 06/11/1993 – Madonna (Singer) – Show at Maracanã — Photo: Julio Cesar Guimarães / Agência O Globo24 of 30 06/11/1993 – Madonna (singer) – Show at Maracanã Stadium — Photo: Anibal Philot / Agência O Globo25 of 30 Madonna leaves the hotel for the sound check of her show in 1993 — Photo: Hipólito Pereira / Agência O Globo26 of 30 Wearing a black wig and sunglasses, in 1993, Madonna gets into the van that took her to Corcovado, on her first trip to Rio — Photo: Julio Cesar Guimarães / Agência O Globo27 of 30 04/11/1993 Madonna (singer) – Arrival in Rio – The singer leaves the plane — Photo: Cezar Loureiro28 of 30 06/11/1993 – Madonna (singer) – Show at Maracanã Stadium — Photo: Anibal Philot / Agência O Globo29 of 3030 of 30
Singer was in the city six times
The play was successful in popular markets and among the diva’s fans, even appearing in a soap opera. “Love Story”, shown in 1995, showed the character Zuleika, played by Eva Wilma, holding the object while walking down the street.
2 of 2 Eva Wilma’s character using ‘Madonna’s umbrella’ — Photo: ReproductionEva Wilma’s character using ‘Madonna’s umbrella’ — Photo: Reproduction
The historic umbrella had a swan handle and a woman’s face printed on it, with marked makeup and large earrings. To the surprise of many, however, this is not Madonna! On social media, he had to appear surprised by the story and also anyone who asked for the object to be returned to the markets.
“With Madonna coming to Brazil, there is an urgent need to relaunch Madonna’s classic umbrella, which was not Madonna’s”, asked an internet user on X, formerly Twitter. “The collective unconscious is a crazy thing because everyone saw Madonna in that umbrella”, recalled another profile on the same social network.
Another internet user ventured a guess as to who the woman on the object would be: “I have a theory that Madonna’s umbrella is actually the umbrella of Erika Eleniak, muse of ‘Sos Malibu’.”
The umbrella was a hit with the singer’s fans in the 1990s, but nowadays it has become a “fashion rarity”, as appears in the description on an internet sales site. You could say it’s a fan collector’s item, sold out in several online resale locations.
Those who had the piece and kept it also took the opportunity to show more details on social media. “Memory successfully unlocked! Anyone who lived in the 90s caught the rain with the classic “Madonna umbrella”. And years later discovering that it wasn’t Madonna”, wrote one profile. “I still have Madonna’s umbrella with a swan handle, whose little eye moves,” reported another.
Madonna’s show in Rio de Janeiro will be next Saturday, the 4th, in Copacabana, at post 2, and is free. The stage will be facing Leme. In total, there will be 16 sound and video towers so the show can reach Avenida Princesa Isabel, with a distance of 80 meters between one pair of towers and the other.
