Abba forever: the Swedish phenomenon that reigned on the planet, is still in force and will have a tribute in Lima

The green eyes, the dancing horse, blond, black, red, brown, the beards, the smiles of both, the piano, the pianist, that standing guitarist, their costumes, their boots, the whole look, worthy of a catalog to frame . Images that appear as flashes as soon as we delve into the mind to identify what our first memory of abba. That is the color that surrounds his music and his imperishable sympathy. They are like the final arrangement that lights up melodies that are also small time machines that take us to the dance floors to defy the night, or simply to look at the sea in search of an image that embraces us in a past that is believed to be always better. Romantic, festive, playful songs. The demonstration that the naive can also be endearing. So much so that the hidden political criticism of some issues still goes unnoticed by many. Credit, of course, goes to the four members -two of them songwriters, along with manager Stig Anderson- and their producer, Michael B. Tretow, inspired by Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound and the songs of the Beatles to give personality to compositions that he soon sensed magical.

When on December 11, 1982, Björn, Agnetha, Benny and Anni-Frid (Frida) made their last appearance as Abba in a television program, probably not even they imagined that a similar situation would not be repeated and that their paths would soon take different directions. different. They had been masters and lords of the seventies thanks to their catchy hits, of course, but also thanks to the pristine image they had as a group, capable of making them reach both adults and children and, of course, the charisma and beauty of their two female singers. Although the figures vary slightly, it is estimated that they have sold around 500 million albums worldwide. Some speak of 300, others of 400. Considering that they were formed in 1972, we speak of about 10 million albums sold per year. A fabulous fact that puts them on the list of the most successful artists in history, alongside others such as the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Elton John or Elvis Presley.

When someone over 40 years old listens to an Abba song, nostalgia is inevitable, going back to childhood or youth, reliving happy moments of life. When someone under the age of 30 or 20 still sings songs like “Dancing Queen”, the validity and contemporaneity of her music is also verified. There’s “Waterloo”, “Mamma Mia”, “Fernando”, “Knowing Me, Knowing You”, “Money, Money, Money”, “Take a Chance on me”, “Thank You For The Music”, “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme”, “Voulez Vous”, “I Have a Dream”, “Chiquitita”, “Super-Trouper”, “The Winner Takes it All” or “Lay All Your Love on Me”, songs that have the virtue of be recognized by listeners in Sweden, of course, but also in places like Peru, Israel or Zimbabwe, as well as in Costa Rica, Poland, Japan, Australia or the former Soviet Union. Even the iron curtain danced with them. More than a Scandinavian band that sang in English, Abba knew how to be universal. When the planet understood that they would never get on stage to sing together, a happy, restless and innocent era was tacitly declared over. It took a few years for oblivion to give way to nostalgia and the revaluation of his music, invulnerable to time.

the dance kings

Despite what many believe, the members of the group continued in music after their departure. Agnetha and Anni-Frid (Frida), released solo albums, seeking to resume the careers they already had and that were cut short after their union with Abba. Benny and Björn went into musicals and then into writing songs for other artists. In that same spirit, by the end of the 90s they composed the musical Mamma Mia!, based on the songs of the famous quartet that they themselves composed. By 2008, around 65 million people had seen the performance in various productions around the world. It is estimated that it has raised approximately 4 billion euros. It is, of course, one of the most successful musicals in history. So much so, that in 2008 it was made into a movie, with Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan as protagonists. The film cost 52 million euros and grossed 609 million dollars in 24 weeks. In 2018, he had a second part and a third, according to rumors, is quite possible.

In that span of time, their songs lived on thanks not only to the radio, which continued to play them, but to Erasure, which released the Abba-Esque tribute EP in 1992, reinvigorating their songs. Then also to the cinema, as they were featured in such a wide variety of films that ranged from the Australian “Muriel’s Wedding” (PJ Hogan, 1994) to the Balkan “Black Cat, White Cat” (Emir Kusturica, 1998). His music has also been present on the soundtracks of films such as The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), Summer of Sam (1999), The Martian (2015), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) or the recent Thor : Love and Thunder, along with the best Guns N’ Roses hits.

At this point, with the four septuagenarian members far removed from the stubborn whims of rock stars like Jagger or Richards –and despite the fact that they parted ways without an official farewell-, a reunion in the form of a world tour seemed impossible. So Frida (76), Agnetha (72), Björn (77) and Benny (75) decided on technology. Represented by the Abba-tars, their holograms, they were able to be young again and reconnect with their audience in a series of revolutionary concerts – begun in London in May this year – that did not require them to be physically present on stage. New generations thus have the opportunity to enjoy their music. “I was there on opening night. One of the best nights of my life. See the future, beautifully intertwined with the past. ABBA is truly a legend”, Wrote a user in one of the videos circulating on YouTube. “Nothing can prepare you to be there and experience it. The lighting, the sound, the atmosphere and of course ABBA! The creativity and production around the entire show is beyond what I could have imagined and expected. The 43 years of waiting were worth it”, wrote another, who seemed to have also seen them in their moment of greatest glory. On this platform there are several videos of how it was done the process of creating the 3D generated holograms and there are photos of the members with the sensor suits necessary to achieve said technological feat. Swedish music legends seem to have found the philosopher’s stone, the key to the secret of eternal youth.

“When I see my avatar on stage, it really becomes a mixed bag. It’s like there’s a kind of life infused into this guy we see on screen.”, Björn has said about the experience. for Frida, “It’s amazing the work they’ve put into this project. Seriously, it’s amazing.”.

As if that were not enough, in 2021 they released a new album with new songs, “Voyage”, another success for their collection: it was number 1 in 18 countries and sold a million copies in the first week of its release alone. Until today, according to Forbes, the group earned 2 billion dollars. The combined fortune of the four, at present, exceeds 500 million dollars. Almost 23 million people listen to them monthly on Spotify.

For this reason, its history is not only studied by musicians, but also in international business and marketing schools. In 2013, Stockholm opened a museum dedicated to them. And it is that, in addition to the aforementioned Spotify, Ikea or Volvo, Sweden has in them other jewels to preserve for its economy, its culture and its happiness.

Thanks for the music

What better way to keep a legend alive than by telling their story, that is, singing their songs? Since 1999, a group of artists gathered in London decided to become Mania The Abba Tribute and dedicate themselves to paying constant tribute to the music of the Scandinavian quartet, a repertoire of almost 200 songs that remains alive in the memory of the planet. Tamsin Stewart, Rhiannon Porter, JoJo, Duncan Walsh-Atkins, Lucas Hajiantoni and Edward Handoll have embodied the sound they revere.

In this way, countries such as the United Kingdom, Denmark, Belgium, France, Spain, the United States, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea or South Africa have been able to relive the sensation of seeing the legendary Swedish band in concert, thanks to the British group that, accompanied by a powerful light and sound show, makes the dream of many come true on a journey through time and space to a world in which the colored balls are still spinning, the dance floors dazzle with its lights and the seventies come to life renewed. The performers have already sold more than 3 million tickets around the world.

For those who want to relive the experience of their songs, explore the paths of feeling, nostalgia and, of course, the party, Mania The Abba Tribute is the way. Finally, as Frida, Agnetha, Björn and Benny sang in that classic “The Way Old Friends Do”, which also sounded in one of the fleeting and always friendly reunions they had since their separation – that of the group and that of the marriages of the couples who formed-: “You and I can share the silence/ Finding comfort together/ The way old friends do/ And after fights and words of violence/ We make up with each other/ The way old friends do” (“Tú y yo we can share the silence/ Finding solace together/ As old friends do/ And after fights and words of violence/ We reconcile/ As old friends do”).

Meanwhile, we, witnesses of their 10 years of success and 40 years of silence, can look at them and say “Thank you, Abba, for the music”. “I want to thank / for the songs / that transmit / emotions”. That the 70’s never end.