Madonna with daughter Lourdes Leon pictured at the ground breaking ceremony for the Raising Malawi Academy For Girls today. Madonna has spent $15 million funding this project.

Madonna marked the start of construction of her school for girls in Malawi on Monday by planting a tree at the planned site of the $15 million school.

The 51-year-old celebrity arrived in the impoverished southern African country on Sunday accompanied by her four children — daughters Lourdes and Mercy, and sons Rocco and David.

Madonna adopted Mercy from Malawi earlier this year and adopted David from the country in 2008.

The singer was dressed in a dark summer dress and a colorful shawl during Monday’s ceremony in the town of Chinkhota, some six miles (10 kilometers) from the capital, Lilongwe. Together with eldest daughter Lourdes she planted a Moringa tree, a hardy tree with edible leaves.

“If this school is a success — with God-willing it will be — we will replicate it not only in Malawi but in other parts of the world as well,” she said.

The new school will be called the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls and will open by 2011 and educate 500 students, said its future principal, Anjimile Mtila-Opponyo. It will be similar to the school built by talk show host Oprah Winfrey in South Africa. MORE

Fame

Fame

Madonna made an appearance on the David Letterman TV show last night in New York City, New York. Madonna admitted to David that despite having a home in Manhattan for over 30 years and living on and off in the city she has never had the famous New York pizza. David was shocked and took her out for a slice and a few drinks during the show.

Her face scares me!

 Fame

Madonna has been spotted with boyfriend Jesus Luz for months now — some blogs and gossip Web sites have even speculated the pop star is planning to marry the Brazilian model — but according to Madge, she’d pick death over walking down the aisle again.

“I think I’d rather get run over by a train,” the 51-year-old pop icon told David Letterman when asked if she would marry again during her appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman” Wednesday night.

“Now I’m married, you’re not married. Go figure,” Letterman joked with Madonna during her eighth appearance on the late night talk show.

The singer referred to her time with ex-husband director Guy Ritchie as “the Bush years … It was a good time to be out of America.”

When asked if she thought she would ever find love again, she told Letterman, “I don’t know, I’ve lost perspective. Do you know?”

Letterman also had some fun with Madonna’s recent reported romantic endeavors with New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez.

“Have you ever ridden hockey players before?” Letterman asked after the pop star was carried on stage by the New York Rangers hockey team.

“No, that’s the one sport I haven’t investigated,” Madonna joked.

Source, Fame

To celebrate the release of Madonna’s new compilation CD Celebration, I’m giving away some great t-shirts!

Contest Details:

• How To Enter: Tell me what your favorite Madonna song is in the comments below!
• Date: Contest will run until Wednesday, September 30th
• US ONLY please
• UPDATE: I have 3 shirts 6 shirt to give away! I was given 3 more shirts to give away, so now I have 6!! Contest ends tomorrow!

Warner Bros. Records has confirmed the final track listing for Madonna’s upcoming Celebration CD The “Ultimate” Compilation – and Celebration the Video Collection DVD both scheduled to be released on September 28/29th. The songs which were selected by Madonna and her fans have all been exquisitely remastered. Celebration will be available as a two-CD set as well as a single CD.

The Celebration Video Collection DVD will include unedited and never before seen footage of “Justify My Love” along with 27 Madonna videos to be released on a DVD compilation for “the very first time” including “Into The Groove” and “Give It To Me” as well as the just completed video of Madonna’s new single “Celebration.”

Madonna clearly continues to rule the dance floor with her latest single. Her “Celebration” Remix EP is #1 on iTunes Dance Album chart as well as #1 on the Masterbeat overall chart. The song is #*5 on Billboards Club Singles Chart and the Greatest Gainer for the second week in a row. If “Celebration” reaches #1 on Billboards Club Single Chart, it would be Madonnas 40th!!!! #1 Club single the most of any artist in the history of the Billboard Club Singles Chart.

On the international front so far, the “Celebration” single is already #1 in Italy and Holland, #2 in Japan and is Top 5 airplay in every other major market.

Another newly recorded song, “Revolver” featuring Lil Wayne is also included on the Celebration CD. Artwork for the packaging of the CD and DVD was designed by renowned street pop artist “Mr. Brainwash.”

Currently on tour in Europe with her sold out “Sticky & Sweet” Tour, the multi-Grammy winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer with the highest grossing tour in history for a Female Artist, is scheduled to end her tour with her final show in Israel on September 1st.

Madonna Celebration CD Track Listing:

CD 1:
01) Hung Up
02) Music
03) Vogue
04) 4 Minutes
05) Holiday
06) Everybody
07) Like A Virgin
08) Into The Groove
09) Like A Prayer
10) Ray Of Light
11) Sorry
12) Express Yourself
13) Open Your Heart
14) Borderline
15) Secret
16) Erotica
17) Justify My Love
18) Revolver

CD 2:
01) Dress You Up
02) Material Girl
03) La Isla Bonita
04) Papa Don’t Preach
05) Lucky Star
06) Burning Up
07) Crazy For You
08) Who’s That Girl
09) Frozen
10) Miles Away
11) Take A Bow
12) Live To Tell
13) Beautiful Stranger
14) Hollywood
15) Die Another Day
16) Dont Tell Me
17) Cherish
18) Celebration

Now that Sean Penn’s wife, Robin Wright, has decided to divorce him once and for all, the actor has turned to a familiar face for comfort — ex-wife Madonna!

A friend says Madonna, 51, and Sean, 49, have stayed in touch since having cocktails last November at New York’s Greenwich Hotel and have helped each other through their respective splits (she divorced Guy Ritchie in 2008).

And though she is casually dating Jesus Luz, “Madonna still considers Sean her soulmate,” her friend reveals. “It’s highly possible that she and Sean will somehow get back together now that they’ll both be divorced.”

The volatile pair were married from 1985-1989.

Source

Madonna’s highly anticipated video for “Celebration” has finally arrived! I have the Jonas Akerlund directed video which features the Queen of Pop’s daughter Lourdes (around 3:15) and her boytoy, Brazilian model Jesus Luz. “Celebration” is the title track from Madonna’s forthcoming greatest hits album due out on September 29th.