Madonna made time for a "Celebration" dedicated to the 18th birthday of her daughter, Chifundo "Mercy" James.
James, who Madonna adopted in Malawi three years after her birth on Jan. 22, 2006, is a trained pianist who's played during spots on Madonna's ongoing twelfth tour. Posted to Instagram on Monday, Madonna shared footage of James playing Erik Satie’s "Gnossienne No. 1," along with snapshots of the teenager getting a forehead kiss from Beyoncé and candids taken with her siblings.
“Beautiful Chifundo James! you’re 18 yrs [sic] old today!! Beautiful Mercy James. You’re already a young woman! Beautiful African Queen!! You Surprised all of us! ♥️🇲🇼♥️🇲🇼♥️🇲🇼♥️🇲🇼,” captioned the montage.
"You were always the quiet one The gentle one . The Shy and Stoic one. While All of my other children were clamoring for attention, you were Hiding under your hoodie — never wanting to draw attention to yourself," the caption continued.
“Always Humble and Kind, Always the first one to say thank you. To clear the table after dinner! To Come and Hug me and say how much you appreciate something,” Madonna wrote. “And Always the most Responsible.”
“I am really astounded by the woman you have become. Poised and radiant. Skilled and Soulful. A True artist,” the seven-time Grammy Award winner continued.
Madonna then praised James' musicianship. “That hand that was once frozen in your mouth as a child -now makes magic happen when you play the piano," she wrote. "Whether it's Erik Satie or Chilly Gonzales. To hear you play Chopin every night in my show with such confidence is such a thrill.”
"Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to watch you grow. You really are A wonder. Wishing You the happiest of Birthdays! The happiest of everything— because you deserve it. Even though we both hate shellfish the world is your Oyster !! She is waiting for you to devour it. To eat it whole!!! To Slay it!! 🌍🌎🌏💙💙💙,” Madonna concluded.
James is Madonna's fourth child, and the singer also has three other adopted children who were born in Malawi, twins Stella and Estere, 11, and David, 18. Madonna's biological children are Lourdes Leon, who the artist shares with former boyfriend Carlos Leon and Rocco, 23, with ex-husband and filmmaker Guy Ritchie.
