Madonna leads way to carnival
2010-02-09 20:57
Rio de Janeiro - Madonna on Tuesday led a charge of celebrities descending on Rio de Janeiro for the city's famously sexy carnival starting this weekend.
The US entertainer triggered screams from fans as she checked into an upmarket hotel on Ipanema beach with her children in tow, a report said.
The frenzy added to a crowd already gathered in front of the hotel because of another singing guest lodged there: Beyonce, who was wrapping up a series of pre-Carnival Brazilian concerts as part of a Latin American tour.
Rio's attraction this year for the rich and famous owes much to the city's rising profile as host of the 2016 Olympic Games and as a beachside showcase of the economic bonanza Brazil is currently enjoying.
The fact that much of the US and European celebrities are fleeing freezing temperatures at home might also have something to do with the influx.
Other celebrities expected to show up for the carnival, which runs from Saturday to Tuesday next week, include Alicia Keys and Paris Hilton.
Hollywood heart-throbs Leonardo DiCaprio and Lindsay Lohan, however, cancelled their plans to visit, another report said.
Madonna reportedly was to mix in a bit of work for her children's charity Success for Kids, heading to Sao Paulo on Wednesday to rustle up donations.
On Friday, she was to return to Rio to accompany Brazilian politicians on visits to slums before throwing herself into the festivities.
- SAPA