Polish fans joined together in song to wish Madonna a happy birthday at a concert in Warsaw Saturday evening — just hours before she turned 51.
In a break between two songs, a fan held up a sign wishing her a happy birthday and audience members sang, “may you live a hundred years,” a traditional Polish birthday song.
“I feel your love!” Madonna told the crowd of tens of thousands gathered on a large green field for the latest stop in her “Sticky & Sweet” tour.
In a video of the performance on YouTube, the fans sang “Happy Birthday” to the star before Madonna addressed the crowd.
“I see a sign over there that says, ‘You changed my life,’” she began. “I want to say, because it’s my birthday and birthdays are always a time to think about everything you have to be grateful for, that every time I do a show, and every time I look into your eyes, and every time I see your smiles, you change my life. “It’s amazing that I’ve been able to do what I do for so many years… I love my job… and this is the best birthday present ever!” she said before launching into her song “You Must Love Me.”
Many of the fans near the stage also held up paper hearts. One said: “Adopt Me.”
Her stop in Warsaw fell not only a day before her birthday, but also on August 15, the Roman Catholic holiday celebrating the heavenly assumption of the Virgin Mary — timing that angered some Catholics.
Several people who objected to Madonna held up banners outside the concert venue, and a Catholic group tried to spearhead protests in past weeks hoping to force the Material Girl to change the date of the concert. It failed, however, to win support from the official church or the public. Though Poland, homeland of the late John Paul II, is mainly Catholic, young urban Poles have overwhelmingly embraced pop culture and mores.
During the concert, Madonna also paid tribute to Michael Jackson, who died in June.
A Jackson impersonator did the King of Pop’s signature moonwalk dance move while wearing a sequined jacket, white T-shirt, white glove and white socks, while a large photograph of him as a boy appeared on stage.
“Let’s give it up for one of the greatest artists the world has ever known,” Madonna shouted, and then segued into a performance of her old hit “Holiday.”
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