'Mamma Mia!' Maria the Mexican and Unfit Wives among artists paying tribute to ABBA on Friday.
ABBA is back.
And so are the tributes.
The sounds of ABBA can be heard Friday — this isn't an April Fools' joke — in Lawrence.
ABBA is an acronym for the first initials of the first names of the members of the 1970s-dominant Swedish pop group (Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad). A musical and movie, "Mamma Mia!," later featured its music.
ABBA released its first album of new music in 40 years when "Voyage" dropped in November.
And I Heart Local Music will present a free Tribute to ABBA show at 6 p.m. Friday at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. in Lawrence. The event is open to guests of all ages.
"This show is very much aimed at mothers and families, and anybody who really just wants to experience music after COVID," said Fally Afani, I Heart Local Music founder.
An idea that has been brewing for three years ago is now ready to be served. All groups have musicians who are mothers.
"This is a tribute to mothers by mothers," she said.
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Maria the Mexican, Unfit Wives, Party Party among performers
Unfit Wives, Maria the Mexican, Party Party with Katlyn Conroy (of Cheery), Suzannah Johannes and Bad Alaskan (Alex Williams), as well as local drag queens a, will bring songs from “Mamma Mia!” to life.
Maria the Mexican will perform "SOS."
The group's Maria Cuevas and Teresa "Tess" Cuevas, who are sisters, come from a musical family, including grandmother, Teresa Cuevas, founder of Mariachi Estrella and survivor of the Hyatt Regency collapse in 1981.
"We both started (learning instruments) very young," Tess Cuevas said.
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They started learning when they were 5 years old or younger, then began playing in the band at age 11.
"It was kind of understood that we were learning those instruments for the mariachi," Maria Cuevas said.
Tess Cuevas has children. Maria Cuevas said she is mother to a cat.
Maria the Mexican is re-emerging after COVID, they said, and the public also has two opportunities to see the group in Topeka this year.
For those who miss this week's performance, Maria the Mexican will also be opening for Tejano performer Gary Hobbs on April 8 at the Topeka Performing Arts Center. It will also appear July 15 as part of the NOTO Arts District's summer concert series.
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'Mamma Mia!' It's Unfit Wives.
Unfit Wives will perform "Mamma Mia."
Vocalist and guitar player Jenna Rae, spoke about the five-piece bluegrass group, known for its irreverent humor.
One song she wrote is "Love Havin' Company."
"It's about having people coming over to your house when it's a mess," she said. "And you say, 'Come on over anyway.'"
Rae recalled a saying her grandmother was known for, "Bring a shovel when you come," she said.
The group, known for poking fun at social standards for being a good wife, released an album, "Live and Unfit," through Lost Cowgirl Records in 2019.
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I Heart Local Music celebrating 11 years
Afani is this week celebrating the 11th anniversary of I Heart Local Music, which works to connect local musicians with appreciative listeners.
She has a series of videos, called "Just a Sec," which highlight one second out of every day of her life for an entire year, available for viewers on the internet to catch a glimpse life through her eyes. It began in 2014.
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Afani has worked in radio, television, newspapers, magazines and other media.
She has received several Kansas Association of Broadcasters awards as well as an Edward R. Murrow award for her online work in journalism. Her love of live music prompted her to focus her energy on working with local musicians and connecting them with the community.
The show will be requiring vaccines and masks.
For more information, go to https://m.facebook.com/events/301092228565727/.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Maria the Mexican, Unfit Wives to participate in Tribute to ABBA show
