Yes, I'm a self-confessed ABBA fan. Always have been. Since I was 4 , wondering what the lady inside the SHARP tape recorder was singing, squealing, crooning, trying to understand her music. I was hooked. I tried to analyse every word she said as I forwarded and rewound the cassette, cluing in to her words, only to realise that the song was "Winner takes it all", which I came to know as I grew up, that it was profoundly melancholic song. And one of Agnetha's best.
For the uninitiated, Abba is a Swedish band, who shot to fame from winning one of Sweden's famed Eurovision contest, where their song " Waterloo" became super popular, and then followed a mania which made Europe go madly fanatic about ABBA, they were performing in United States, Europe and obviously were the next best thing. People were moving about in rollerblades listening to Abba songs on their boom box..(incidentally I bought one yesterday :) with yes my hard earned money :)
Anyhoo, coming back, Anni Frid, Agnetha,Bjorn and Benny, formed the quartet, had affairs with each other, got married, and broke up. Literally. So after that, no more ABBA. Finito. That was
the short - cut to this wonderful fairy tale of a story. But for the real deal , go here.
I have done a hell lotta research on them, but incidentally, I don't quite remember. They are never getting back together again, coz that's what most of them think, that it is quite hurtful. The girls and the boys from the band don't ever want to dig out their own past, they don't want to come to terms with it. And well even though they know that them coming back together is going to fetch them millions of dollars, they prefer it that way. Quite a pure thing, and the hurt is so stark that even we fans can't put money on it. It was a real tragedy.
here's a pic with all four of them together, a pic they've posed together in since 1986!
There is a musical on ABBA, which tours Europe and certain places and who came to India a couple of years back, called , yes you're right: Mamma Mia!
but I was right outside NCPA making a BIG DECISION. Did I really want to hear Agnetha's voice from a fake? Did I want to hear, the naughty Bjorn's "Does your mother know? from a fake Bjorn? I had made my decision. ABBA has always been close to me. Even though they know, I don't exist, even though they have their sentiments to take care of. Being a romantic. I stuck through. I declined my desire to watch the show.
But today I finally did see the Mamma Mia! movie. It awakened my senses, made me sing, quite demurely, whilst 4-5 audience members chuckled at the musical in the theatre. But not me, I smiled, I wept, I felt so touched, I can't begin to tell you. The most amazing moments of my life, to see Meryl Streep sing Winner takes it all, complete justice then, eh, Agnetha? There were some splendid moments in the movie, quite tugging at your heart strings. Pierce Brosnan, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth and Meryl Streep, they were simply brilliant. Thank you so much for doing this movie, coz you guys were apt enough to do the legends a justice of a role :)
I finally finally, got hold of this movie. No I don't know any of my friends who'd go to see a movie, being a recluse that I am, some of the people I know, will utter shock at this statement, but some people prefer comfort over lights, camera and action. So well, I snuck in to a nearby movie theatre on a cosy afternoon, got my tickets, slid on to the aisle seat, and sang all the songs to myself. :) I've never enjoyed a movie so much.
Mamma Mia! is for Abba fans, who are now vanishing, and it is only their children who are holding the torch and keeping the music alive. I being a super Rock fan, I do know what music is. It is sung from the heart, and there are quite a few of the singers and band mates out there, who know what they are doing. Finally, it is the relationship of the band members, their muses and their passion for their creation that makes them the true musicians.
ABBA will always, always live on. Forever.
