LONDON (AP) — 50 years later Abba Won the great battle against “Waterloo”.
Half a century ago on Saturday, a Swedish quartet won the 1974 International Music Festival. eurovision song contest “My, Napoleon surrendered at Waterloo, and I met my fate in exactly the same way,” it begins with a peppy love song.
The song rang out again on Saturday at London's Waterloo Station (also named after the 1815 battle that resulted in defeat for the French leader), where a choir performed for commuters. did.
In the British coastal town of Brighton, where the 1974 tournament was held, fans marked the anniversary with flashmob dances and a quiet ABBA disco.
With their Eurovision victory, ABBA became a pop giant and the most successful band to win the pan-continental music competition, whose 68th edition will be held in May in ABBA's native Sweden.of eurovision The final will be held in Malmö on May 11th. Swedish singer Laureen He won last year's contest with “Tattoo.”
ABBA's melodic disco pop has sold hundreds of millions of records worldwide. Stage musical “Mamma Mia! ” The movie based on that song is 25 years old and spawned two movies.
The band members haven't played live together in 40 years, but released their comeback album Voyage in 2021. Fans are treated to digital “ABBA-tars” concerts on the hit show every day. “Abba Voyage” Opening in London in 2022.
In a thank you message to fans on Saturday, the band's four members said they felt “a little dizzy” knowing their songs had been passed down through generations and “still resonate around the world.” “It's a very humbling feeling,” he said.
Agnetha Faltskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad say, “Music that you discover and learn to love as an adult or later in life stays with you forever.'' It’s something that will stay in my heart.” “We're sharing that experience with you, and it's great to know that our music will always be ingrained in your lives.”
A memorial concert entitled “A party for ABBA'' was scheduled to be held in Stockholm on Saturday night, featuring prominent Swedish artists, a 21-piece band and a large choir. Organizers said it was a tribute to a band that changed the Nordic music scene “forever”.
“April 6, 1974 is considered by some to be Sweden's national music day,” said Swedish public broadcaster SVT, which will broadcast the concert live on television and streaming services.
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Associated Press writer Jari Tanner in Helsinki contributed to this report.