What you need to know:
Almost 31 years ago, in November 1993, Madonna made her first visit to Mexico. And yes, it was full of controversy, demonstrations by religious groups, and more.
The Madders (Madonna fans) in Mexico are overwhelmed with emotion. the arrival of the “Celebration Tour”, the world tour of the “Queen of Pop” who, after several months of waiting, will finally land in our country to give us a tour through the 40 years of his musical career.
Madonna’s visit is highly anticipated and for good reason. The 65-year-old singer hasn’t set foot on Mexican soil in eight years and her followers are waiting Watch her perform some of the biggest hits that have accompanied her over the last four decades.
Madonna and her “The Celebration Tour” will finally arrive in Mexico
And at that point it was very clear to us Madonna is one of the artists who enjoys incredible fame in Mexicobecause with this tour she was able to arrange five dates at the Palacio de los Deportes in CDMX and thousands are waiting to see her on stage again.
Incredible and with everything and her status as “Queen of Pop”, Decades ago, Mexican society didn’t exactly welcome Madonna with open arms. In fact, during the singer’s first visit to Mexico, there were even demonstrations and criticism from politicians who wanted to prevent the artist from giving her performances.
Although things were different for Madonna in Mexico 31 years ago
It was in July 1993 when Ocesa announced that Madonna would be performing for the first time to the then newly built concert hall in the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez – today known as Foro Sol – and which was actually intended for the reception of Sir Paul McCartney (we have just told you this anecdote here).
The “Material Girl” finally wanted to open this new forum for major concerts November 10th was agreed upon as the date on which Madonna would perform her first concert as part of The Girlie Show World Tour.the singer’s fourth world tour.
The singer came to our country for the first time with “The Girlie Show World Tour”.
Contrary to what is happening today, in the early 90s (between 1990 and 1992), Ocesa was just beginning its mission to bring together international artists of the caliber of Bon Jovi Blly Joel, Guns n’ Roses, Beach Boys, The Cure, Ramones, Black Sabbath, U2 and James Brownto name a few.
In the case of Madonna, like Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson, she was one of the top artists who first performed at CDMX in 1993. Nonetheless, The actress and dancer also made headlines because of the controversy her visit sparked.
If there are still a lot of conservative people in 2024, imagine what it was like in the 90s. Madonna came to Mexico to promote her album “Erotica,” which had a burlesque concept of sex and romancewhich already made him immoral in the eyes of many Mexicans.
Although Madonna’s fifth album also gave us some of the most personal songs, in which the singer spoke about losing two friends to HIV, for many it was the topic of sex that was most relevant. Especially since Madonna was released at the same time your book ‘sex‘, which included explicit photos by photographer Steven Meisel.
Three dates announced at Foro Sol and 150,000 tickets sold out
But despite the resistance of some Madonna’s 50,000 tickets for her first concert in today’s Foro Sol (that was its capacity at the beginning) They sold like hotcakes. In fact, the dancer opened two more dates for November 12 and 13 of the same year.
The sale of tickets to Madonna’s concerts was a success and the most religious and moral Mexican society could not handle it. So much so that In the four months leading up to the concert there were several protests and criticism for making possible the arrival of an artist like Madonna in the country.
As was the case the National Parents Union, which launched a movement against Madonna a month before the concert to prevent the singer from setting foot on Mexican soil, arguing that she promotes violence, homosexuality and bisexuality.
Politicians, parents and religious communities opposed Madonna’s concerts in Mexico
That same month, and as protests continued to spread, The then PRI MP Fernando Lerdo de Tejada brought the controversy to the Chamber of Deputies to present a letter with 30,000 signatures from people who wanted to avoid the shows “The Girlie Show World Tour”.
In the letter, people rejected this show because it was a show that denigrated Mexican society by “paying people from foreign subcultures who, like Madonna, represent the harshest anti-values, such as: Homosexuality, lesbianism, sodomy practices, the struggle of the old generation aimed at pitting parents against childrenthe tendency to vices and bad habits.”
The “Queen of Pop” and the “King of Pop” visited Mexico in the same week
This is what Fernando Lerdo de Tejada said in this session of the Chamber of Deputies The authorities in Germany and Italy had canceled concerts for the same reasons. that Madonna had planned and there was no reason why these shows would take place in Mexico.
Lerdo de Tejada He said it differently Michael Jackson –who came to Mexico the same year the allegations of sexual abuse against him came to light– Madonna made her weaknesses the subject of her show and that’s why they didn’t want it in CDMX.
Mexican society was divided over support and hatred for Madonna
Other politicians took part in the discussion in the plenary session They defended the rights of the 150,000 people who had already bought their tickets for one of Madonna’s three dates at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez concert hall.
As is usual, Mexican television was also there. and for weeks he conducted polls and even debates on television shows with people who defended and hated Madonna and the idea of having her in Mexico.
It is more, Religious groups were so determinedIt is important not to let Madonna pass through our country, as 60 Catholic organizations in the country with the support of the Conference of the Mexican Episcopate (CEM) They sent a letter to then-President Carlos Salinas de Gortari.
“The above-mentioned pseudo-artist is committed to desecrating the religious, moral and family values of society… If this show were to take place in Mexico, it would be a mockery of our Catholic values and would cause great harm to the youth, pervert it”assured fathers, mothers and the religious public in general.
But not all demonstrations against it prevented Madonna from performing in Mexico
In the end the concerts continued and nor the demonstration organized by UAM and UNAM students that took place four days before the first show and which was reportedly attended by almost 200 students The universalThey prevented the “Queen of Pop” from arriving in Mexico.
Yes OK Many claimed it was all part of a campaign to discredit Televisa (who had brought Michael Jackson to Mexico a week earlier) to distract from the accusations against the “King of Pop”, Madonna finally arrived in Mexico on November 7, 1993.
And many will never forget how one day an attempt was made to banish the “Queen of Pop” in our country
With hours of delay, complaints about dirt and other inconveniences in the new concert hall, The “Queen of Pop” took on the task of giving three shows full of sensuality, curses and sexual games and others that divided Mexican society.
Almost 31 years have passed since that first Madonna concert in Mexico and many things have changed. However, in memory of our country They will always keep alive the memories of when Mexican society tried to ban the American singer who is now a music icon. Who would say that?