Made in Brazil

She Can Go On And On And On

Here are two clips from Madonna's BBC performance which I should have totally posted over the weekend.

I am loving the choreography for Give It To Me. Clips via Madonna Online.

A Semana: Kylie And Madonna On Tour, Tom Ford, SJP, And The iPhone

Kylie Minogue unleashed her KylieX2008 Tour in Paris this past Tuesday, and it looks like it is as camp as you would expect it to be. Why can't a Brazilian producer bring the show to São Paulo?

According to Billboard.com, Madonna's tour to promote Hard Candy will kick off on August 23 on Cardiff, Wales, and will include between 50 to 60 shows total. Dates for the "Sticky and Sweet Tour" (yes, that is what Madonna is calling it this time) have been announced today, and Brazil is not yet on the schedule even though there is already a Brazilian site claiming to have tickets for a December 9 date in Rio. Since the New York concerts coincide with my birthday, you know what I want as a gift.

Madonna's Hard Candy debuted on the top spot of the Billboard 200 chart, while Leona Lewis' debut single Bleeding Love regained the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Marc Jacobs took his hot new date (who just so happens to be Brazilian) to the Met Costume Institute Gala.

Ohlala mag has brand new pictures of Edilson Nascimento.

Check out the cover of the new adult Abercrombie & Fitch catalog.

Tom Ford is expected to land in São Paulo around May 18 for the launch of his boutique inside Daslu. One can only hope he will stay for Gay Pride.

Sarah Jessica Parker is also expected in São Paulo for the grand opening of the massive Cidade Jardim mall, for which she got a reportedly $600K to star in the ad campaign. My friend Ricardo told me to read her interview on New York magazine this week, and I suggest you do the same.

No airport hangars this season: the Chanel Cruise 2008 collection will be shown at the Raleigh hotel in Miami Beach on May 15.

The illegally unblocked iPhone has become a huge status symbol in Brazil in the past few months. I know more people here than in New York who have purchased one, even though most of the phone's functions are not supported by national carriers. Luckily for all the illegal iPhone users, Claro announced yesterday that it is in talks with Apple to become the official distributor of the phone in the country by the end of the year.

I tested an iPhone for a week last year, but decided to stick to my Blackberry instead, so the gadget I am really coveting now is the new Blackberry 900, which will feature 3G technology.

Madonnathon

I mentioned last Thursday that I loved the video medley the guys over at Madonna Online put together to celebrate the release of Hard Candy at nightclub The Week. Here is the video in its entirety.

Amazing, isn't it? Click here to download the medley as an MP3 file.

When Madonna Is Busy At Roseland...

Madonna Online celebrated the release of Hard Candy last night with with a big bash at The Week in São Paulo, and since today is Labor Day I decided to attend. I was under the impression that the main dancefloor would play only Madonna songs, and that I would dance all night, but unfortunately the DJ chose to stick to remixes as opposed to the original version of the songs, and it got boring quickly. The highlight of the evening for me was a video medley put together by Madonna Online, which I wish I had taped in its entirety.

I am going to email the guys at Madonna Online and see if I can get the entire medley on MP3 to post here.

I just watched some clips from the concert in New York on YouTube since the MSN concert will not be broadcast in Brazil until May 15. All I can say is it looks like Hard Candy will provide great concert material for Madonna, and I can't wait to see her on tour again. If you missed the concert as well, the videos are after the jump.

A Semana: Andreia Schwartz, Superheroes, Hard Candy, And Gay Pride

Andreia Schwartz is milking her 15 minutes of fame. After being deported from the US a month ago, she posed wearing nothing but an I (Heart) NY shirt for the May issue of Brazilian men's magazine Sexy. Madam Schwartz is also shopping for someone to write her biography, and working on a miniseries for TV properly entitled Lady Manhattan.

Talking about sexy spreads, the latest issue of Genre features hot male models in underwear at the beach.

16-year-old Wanessa is the latest Brazilian featured as Model Of The Week at Models.com.

Model Caroline Trentini graces the cover of Korean W.

Tim Gunn wants Nina Garcia back on Project Runway, and so do I.

Style.com has a really cool take on the upcoming Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy exhibit, which opens at the Met Costume Institute on May 7.

Madonna's Hard Candy finally dropped today. I have been listening to the album a lot, and so far I am digging She's Not Me, Incredible, and Dance 2night. If you are still skeptical about Madonna's venture into hip hop, make sure to read the album review from the NYT. Her Roseland concert will air live tomorrow night on MSN.

CSS has put its new track Rat Is Dead (Rage) up for free download on the web.

Singer Rufus Wainwright signed a deal with the Gay Pride Association of São Paulo to promote his concerts in the country, which will coincide with Gay Pride weekend.

Tickets for Gay Pride parties at The Week are already on sale. You can purchase them online in advance at Ingresso Rapido.

It's Time To Put Your Hands Up

As most of you probably know, Madonna's Hard Candy leaked online (on purpose or not), and is everywhere by now. After listening to it several times with little to none expectations of Madonna's venture into hip hop, the one thing I can say is that it sure sounds like she had fun recording this album. Hard Candy is cool, upbeat, and a perfect follow-up to Confessions. I had my share of doubts about Madonna's collabo with the likes of Timbaland and Pharrell, especially after Madonna's unsuccessful attempt to rap on American Life. Luckily Madonna proved me wrong, and did again what she does best: made her collaborators step out of the box and create a sound that would fit her, and her alone. Hard Candy is not Madonna's hip-hop album, it is a disco-hop album, not safe and not expected. It is not her best work to date, but its infectious beats and lyrics will definitely get you dancing. Make sure to pick up a copy next week when it is released.

I also suggest that you check out what my buddy Arjan had to say about the album.

A Semana: Naomi Against Dengue, Gisele Back At SPFW, Madonna On Tour, And Gay Rights

Naomi Campbell landed in the country yesterday to participate in the campaign against the dengue epidemic. She wanted to donate blood in the morning, but was not able to do so because she underwent a surgery less than five months ago. On a side note, we all know she did not fly British Airways to get here.

Brazilian label Colcci will be moving its spring 2008 show from Fashion Rio to São Paulo Fashion Week. Expect to see Gisele on the runway again.

Menswear label Reserva is hosting a cool photo exhibit entitled Álbum de Família, with b&w pictures of models and celebrities shot by Thales Botelho. Make sure to check it out at the brand's store at Rio Sul Mall until May 10.

Models.com just posted pictures from last week's Jeffrey Fashion Cares. The event featured 40 top male models, and raised $485,000 to charity.

According to Drowned Madonna, the singer will kick off her tour to promote Hard Candy on September 11 at London's Wembley Stadium. Rumor has it that shows are being planned in Australia, Brazil and Argentina. Before anything is actually confirmed, The Week in São Paulo will celebrate the release of Madonna's new album with a party on April 30.

Ohlala Mag goes backstage at the Nico & Adrian show this weekend in New York.

Actor Mario Lopez talks about his Broadway debut in A Chorus Line, and his gay fanbase.

The federal government is proposing a new and revamped law which would guarantee visas to foreign gay men and women who are in a stable relationship with a Brazilian citizen.

A Semana: Hard Candy, Project Runway, SJP, Gianecchini, And Raquel

Arjan Writes has an exclusive review of Madonna's Hard Candy, and news about the next Killers album, set to be produced by Confessions On A Dancefloor's Stuart Price.

Leona Lewis' debut album Spirit hits stores today. Get a copy asap.

Brazilian designer Mario Queiroz launched a new men's jewelry line at BaselWorld last week.

Alexander McQueen opens his first LA boutique today.

Casting for the second season of Brazil's Next Top Model has already started. Am hoping Sony will also cast a new panel of judges to make the show more fun and camp.

It looks like Project Runway is saying Auf Wiedersehen to Bravo, and moving to Lifetime.

Rumor has it that Sarah Jessica Parker was tapped to star in the ad campaign for São Paulo's Shopping Cidade Jardim, which opens its doors for the first time this May.

I love the fact that actor Reynaldo Gianecchini reads the paper shirtless every morning by the window of his apartment in Rio (and that Extra has pictures of it).

How do I get my hands on the new Handbook while I am in Brazil?

Ohlala interviews Michael Lucas.

Models.com has more pictures of La Zimmermann in the new issue of Hercules.

Why Wait Until 04/04 At 4:44?

When Madonna's video for 4 Minutes has already made its way into YouTube?

Warning: link may be taken down at any minute.

The video is already available for purchase on iTunes.

A Semana: Mariah, Madonna, Leona, Rufus, And Gisele

Mimi did it again. Touch My Body reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week, becoming her 18th chart-topper, and making her the solo artist with the most #1 hits ever in Billboard's history. The single also broke a record with 286,000 digital downloads in its debut week.

Madonna's latest promotional blitz involves not only the cover of American Elle, but also of its British franchise. Thanks to download sales, her new single 4 Minutes jumped to the 3rd slot on the Billboard 100 this week.

I was fortunate to get an advanced copy of the American release of Leona Lewis' debut Spirit, and I am absolutely in love with the two new exclusive tracks Forgive Me and Misses Glass. You can stream the entire album on MTV's The Leak before it hits stores next week.

Rufus Wainwright has four shows confirmed in Brazil in May. He plays Rio on the 7th, São Paulo on the 9th, Belo Horizonte on the 10th, and Brasília on the 13th.

Designer Alexandre Herchcovitch announced that the sale of his label to fashion conglomerate I'M Holding did not go through as confirmed earlier this year, and that he is no longer the creative director for jeanswear label Zoomp.

Gisele scores yet another campaign as the face of Brazilian jeweler Vivara.

Model Flavia de Oliveira stars in the new ad campaign for Brazilian designer Priscilla Darolt.

Soon-to-become status symbol: Beckham's golden iPhone.

I can't believe I always end up missing the fun stuff in New York. If you are in the city though, make sure to get tickets to Jeffrey Fashion Cares, which takes place on April 9th, and send me pictures of the boys.

A Semana: Megga Fun, Kanye West, Madonna, And Isabeli

Nightclub Megga Fun opened in São Paulo last Saturday, offering another alternative to the traditional Babylon party at The Week. Reviews from the blogosphere were pretty diverse, so I am going to check it out by myself next time I am in the city and let you guys know how I feel about it (with photos and videos as usual).

Talking about The Week, Erick Morillo will be spinning at the club in São Paulo this Friday. Tony Moran commands the party on Saturday.

Made In Brazil was picked as one of Typepad Featured Blogs last week, which I thought was pretty cool.

The boys from Ohlala went tanning for a cause with Work Out star Jackie Warren. I can't believe I will miss the premiere of the show now that am in Brazil.

Kanye West unveiled yet another amazing video, this time for Homecoming. I am wondering if the video for Flashing Lights ever got any play because of its content.

Madonna's Hard Candy blitz is gearing up with rumors of a possible live performance at Roseland in New York on April 28 or 29. Make sure to check out exclusive screen caps from the video for 4 Minutes, to listen to the Junkie XL mix of the single, and to preview Madonna's Elle cover. The video premieres this week.

CSS' lead singer Lovefoxxx stars in the new campaign for Luella Bartley's collection for surfwear label O'Neil.

Model Isabeli Fontana's big return to the runways this season is paying off. I hear she is booked for the new ad campaigns for Valentino, Cavalli, and Belstaff.

Talking about castings, this was the talk of the town last week. And it is true.

1-900-Hard-Candy

Love the promo for Madonna's new album. Short and sweet.

Madonna's Hard Candy promotional blitz also involves the cover of the new Vanity Fair. Head over to Towleroad to check it out.

A Semana: The Shape Issue, The Hulk, Madonna, And Big Brother Brazil

Gisele is at it again. And by at it I mean a Vogue cover in which she poses next to a leading man. The last time it happened was with George Clooney. This April it is Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James, and I love the result.

The preview for The Incredible Hulk, which was partially shot in Brazil last year, has hit the web.

Check out the cover artwork for Madonna's upcoming album Hard Candy.

Fergie performed in São Paulo yesterday thanks to her deal with Motorola.

My TV crush of the year, Big Brother's Rafinha, scored the leadership on the show this week, meaning there is no way he will be up for elimination next Tuesday.

On an interview to Ego yesterday, openly gay Big Brother contestant Marcelo claimed he was actually bisexual and fell in love with a girl on the cast of the show. He still has 14 minutes and counting.

DJ Scotty Thomson will be making its way to Brazil again for a performance at Le Boy in Rio on March 28.

If you are in Rio, make sure to stop by photographer Pedro Stephan's exhibit Entre Amigos & Amores at Centro Cultural da Justiça Federal. It opens on Monday at 7pm and goes until April 27, featuring over 100 pictures depicting the gay scene in Rio.

Preview the second issue of Bello Mag, which features some beautiful pics of model Evan Wadle by Greg Vaughan.

A Semana: Gisele, CFDA, Madonna, Bears, And A New Mega Club

Gisele's bum is up for sale, sort of. Christie's New York will be auctioning a collection of photography from collector Gert Elfering next month, and portrait of Gisele by Irving Penn is expected to go for over $30,000.

A pregnant Alessandra Ambrósio was in Rio this past weekend shooting the new campaign for UK retailer Next, and RG Vogue has pictures.

The 2008 CFDA Fashion Awards nominees were announced, and Brazilian Francisco Costa got a nod for Womenswear Designer Of The Year for his work at Calvin Klein. He is up against Proenza Schouler and Marc Jacobs. The ceremony will take place June 2.

Tom Ford, who was nominated for a CFDA for Menswear Designer Of The Year, is going to father a child in 2008.

Uniqlo invited four international designers to create capsule collections. Brazilian Juliana Jabour was one of them, so expect lots of striped jersey dresses hitting the stores this month.

Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Justin Timberlake last night: "The world is full of Madonna wannabes. I might have even dated a couple. But there truly is only one Madonna."

Seal will be touring Brazil from March 26 to April 3, with shows scheduled in São Paulo, Rio, Curitiba, and Porto Alegre.

The recent boom in the Brazilian gay bear market will result in the opening of a new bar in São Paulo right around Gay Pride in May. There are already three bear parties happening in the country: Bearland, Woof, and Ursound.

Another massive gay club is set to open in São Paulo later this month, on March 29. Created by the owners of Bubu Lounge, Megga Fun will open on Saturdays only, meaning it will be an alternative to the muscle boys who do not want to go to The Week. The club will hold 3,000 people.

Openly gay Big Brother Brazil contestant Marcelo is up for elimination tonight against my crush Rafinha. I am voting for Marcelo to go as Rafinha is the only reason to watch the show. Besides that, Marcelo is just too freaking annoying.

Another Promotional Blitz Begins

Madonna's new album Hard Candy will not hit stores until April, but her usual promotional blitz has already began. A week ago, the lead single from the album 4 Minutes To Save The World hit the web, and now the first screen caps of the video mysteriously appeared as well.

More at Drowned Madonna. And fyi, Madonna is going to be on the cover of the May issue of Elle, which am glad to hear was shot by Tom Munro and not Gilles Bensimon.

A Semana: Camila Alves, Santoro, American Idol, And Madonna In Brazil

Want a bag designed by the future mother of Matthew McConaughey's baby? You can order one starting this month. According to RG Vogue, Brazilian model Camila Alves is launching a website to feature her line of Muxo bags. Prices will range from US$500 ro $1350, and all bags will be hand-sewn by Camila herself, her mother, and a few assistants. There are even men's styles in case you guys are interested.

Actor Rodrigo Santoro is back on the market: him and gf Ellen Jabour have officially called it quits.

Ana Beatriz Barros posed for footwear brand Drummond for the second season in a row.

Tom Ford is a busy coverboy these days. Now when is he going to pose naked again?

You have to watch Justice's new video for DVNO. It is logomania at its best.

Love that I finally got to watch American Idol live now that am in New York. Is it just me or is this the gayest season ever? David Hernandez's stripper past has been brought to surface, Danny Noriega almost performed in heels, and I developed a major crush on Luke Menard. Needles to say, I liked David Archuleta's performance, but I do want to see him perform something a little more upbeat (and flamboyant).

Rumor has it that Madonna will be including Brazil on her next tour. I can't wait to watch the video for 4 Minutes To Save The World, which will apparently pick up from where Hung Up ended.

35 Seconds To Save The World

Curious about Madonna's new single 4 Minutes To Save The World? A short clip of the song has made its way to the internet.

UPDATE: Since the first link posted was taken down, click here for a new 35 seconds clip from the song.

A Semana: Madonna, Miro Moreira, Josh Holloway, Batman, And Ricky Martin

Rumor has it that Timbaland sneak peeked a few minutes of a new Madonna song entitled 4 Minutes to Save The World at radio station Z100's Jingle Ball in Philadelphia yesterday. The leaked track features Timbo and JT, and can be downloaded here.

São Paulo Nightclub The Week is putting the final touches in its first ever calendar. It was shot at the club this past Saturday by Fernando Torquatto, and counts with models Miro Moreira and Igor Macedo on the casting of twelve boys. Profits from sales of the calendar will benefit charitable organizations.

Model Fernanda Tavares shot the new Davidoff Cool Water fragrance campaign with Lost star Josh Holloway.

The Batman sequel The Dark Knight does not hit theatres until next summer, but a preview is already available online, and it looks like The Joker will steal the movie again.

MySpace was officially launched in Brazil last Friday, where it will have to face Orkut, the leading relationships site in the country with over 14 million registered users.

Gay publication Odissey was relaunched in the country this month with a much improved design, and fotolog and Orkut favorite Lebart on the cover.

Ricky Martin showed off his bom bom at LAX airport this past Saturday.

Brazil's highest-paid singer Ivete Sangalo said she would like to tape her next concert DVD in New York, with special guests such as Bono Vox and Jennifer Lopez.

Getting a US visa is going to be more expensive starting January 1st. The price is going up from USD $100 to $131 for all new visas.

A Semana: Madonna, SexyBack, Angel Alessandra Ambrósio, And Sexual Diversity

Add Kanye West to the list of collabos on Madonna's upcoming album. While Madonna was putting the finishing touches to her album at RecordPlant studios in Los Angeles last week, Kanye West was working on the new Michael Jackson album in the room next door. Pharrell invited Kanye in to meet Madonna, and she came up with an idea for Kanye to rap on one of her songs on the spot. On More Madonna news, she is supposed to film her cameo on Annie Lennox's new video for Sing within the next 2 weeks.

Missy Elliott brings SexyBack in a new remix of Justin Timberlake's hit.

Alicia Keys goes Grays Anatomy on us on her new video for Like You'll Never See Me Again, loaded with tears and running maskara.

Milo Ventimiglia goes shirtless again in Heroes, in the first episode this season which answered a lot of pending questions. I would still be hooked on it even if Milo were to keep his shirt on.

People magazine names Matt Damon Sexiest Man Alive.

Model Alessandra Ambrósio talks to Brazil's Chic about being a Victoria's Secret angel, tomorrow night's fashion show, and her favorite Spice Girl.

Von Dutch trucker hats and tees will be available in Floripa starting today thanks to the opening of the brand's first flagship store in South America. I don't want to sound negative, but even in Brazil Von Dutch hats are already so-three-years-ago.

The 15th Annual MixBrasil Festival, celebrating sexual diversity in film and video, kicked off last night in São Paulo. The line up includes 179 films, 8 parties, and the famous Show do Gongo. After November 22, the festival heads to Porto Alegre, Rio, and Brasilia.

A Semana: Brazilianizers, Madonna, Pride, And Coming Out

Lenny Kravitz is having a love affair with the country: after spending a lot of time in Rio in July, he was seen in Salvador this week.

Bono is landing in the country on October 21 for the F-1 Grand Prix in São Paulo. Björk may head to Rio at the same time, arriving few days before her three scheduled concerts on October 26, 28, and 31. It will be the third time she performs in Brazil.

Designer Gareth Pugh is coming to São Paulo in November for Pense Moda, a series of lectures and debates about fashion and marketing which also counts with Judy Blame, Hugo Scott, and Alexandre Herchcovitch.

Madonna is leaving Warner Music, her long-time record label, to sign a $120 million deal with Live Nation, the concert promoter behind the Live 8 events.

In the latest installment of his shirtless publicity blitz, Marc Jacobs does W magazine.

The US dollar opened the day at R$ 1.80, the lowest exchange rate to the real in the past seven years.

São Paulo will soon host a franchise of Buddha Bar, scheduled for an October opening at Daslu.

A Corrida Milionária, Brazil's first franchise of The Amazing Race, will debut this Saturday at RedeTV! with a gay couple competing for the big prize.

Valter Luiz Cardeal de Souza, president of Brazilian electric company Eletrobrás, released a statement yesterday claiming that he was not responsible for homosexual remarks attributed to him last week, and apologizing for the misunderstanding. Mr. Souza said that he has no prejudice towards homosexuality, and that Eletrobrás even offers health insurance benefits to partners of gay employees in civil unions. Furnas, a subsidiary of Eletrobrás, donated R$200K as a sponsor to Gay Pride in Rio this weekend.

Today is National Coming Out Day. If you are looking for a perfect moment to make significant changes in your life, why not stop making excuses and do it now? You are already reading a gay blog after all.

A Semana: New Madonna, Mika, Gay Characters, And Santoro's Birthday

Cauã Reymond and gf Grazi Massafera hit the beach in Rio.

A new Madonna track called The Beat Goes On has leaked on the web. It sounds like a colabo with Pharrell which I am sure will not end up on the final cut of the new album. Madonna will be performing at the MTV VMAs with Justin Timberlake.

Mika sings Hey Betty (You Are Beautiful) for the new fall season of Ugly Betty.

Listen to Danish pop group Private's My Secret Lover.

Janice Dickinson and her legion of models would rather go naked than to wear fur.

The new primetime soap Duas Caras has not started yet, but a gay character has already been confirmed. Unlike the hunky and successful (but bland) gay couple from the current soap Paraíso Tropical, actor Thiago Mendonça will play Bernardinho, who will be poor and end up kicked out of his home when his parents find out about his sexuality.

Actors Lázaro Ramos, Isabel Filardis, and presenter Fernanda Young, are expected at this Sunday's 3rd Annual Niterói Gay Pride Parade in Rio de Janeiro.

Happy birthday to Rodrigo Santoro, who is turning 32 today. According to O Globo, the actor has been invited to play Raul Castro, Fidel's brother, in an upcoming movie about Cuba. Rodrigo just finished shooting David Mamet's Redbelt, opposite Tim Allen and Brazilian Alice Braga.

It's Madonna's Birthday

Madonna turns 49 today, and to celebrate it I dug up six of my favorite Madonna moments on YouTube.

From left to right, top to bottom: "Express Yourself" video, "Like A Virgin" live at the Blond Ambition Tour, "Vogue" at the 1990 VMAs, "Take A Bow" video, "Frozen" video, and "Erotica" live at the Confessions Tour.

It is amazing that once you start looking at Madonna's videos and performances, you just keep on jumping from one to the next. I can't wait to get more news on her upcoming Timbaland-produced album.

A Semana: Brazilian Bears, Gisele, And Marc Jacobs And Ricky Martin Undressed

The second edition of the Woof! party drew a big crowd of bears and chasers to Ocean Club in São Paulo over the weekend. Even designer Alexandre Herchcovitch showed up to check out the go-go bears and strippers.

The muscle boys got to party at the São Paulo edition of the Ele.k.tra party with DJ Tibal Tarante this past weekend.

Madonna's adoption methods are still being questioned. Can someone please stop this drama, and let little David Banda have a life full of luxuries in peace?

Gisele scores yet another ad campaign this season, this time for European label Vero Moda.

Former Bravo reality show contestants dish about their quick rise to momentary fame on New York magazine.

Marc Jacobs is naked and exposed on the cover of the upcoming September issue of Out magazine, in which he opens up about his insecurities and drug and alcohol abuse.

Follow designer Michael Kors' rules on the September issue of Details.

A naked Ricky Martin gets tattooed on video, thanks to special effects.

New Madonna Leaks...

A short clip of Madonna's new song Candy Shop hit the web today