ON March 15, 2010, ABBA, the great Jimmy Cliff, and many others will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York.  It is always a blessing for the future generation to see good hard work rewarded in order to instill the aspiration for continuous excellence.
As an American growing up in Nigeria, ABBA was part of our musical and social culture.  Their songs did not only bring the best out of you, but it was also a vehicle on which endless friendships were built through social dialogues.  I still remember a TV program in my high school days that claimed that ABBA brought more foreign exchange to Sweden than anything else.  In a recent documentary, I learned that ABBA reluctantly came to America once to perform because they were so successful and did not need to go everywhere.
ABBA to me represents freedom.  ABBA is the freedom to excel, be original, shape your destination, and define self.  Unlike others, even in their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, only two of the four members are coming.  I guess nothing is too great for them.  ABBA teaches us that the true measure of success is not in selling your soul through unholy alliances, but rather, through the genuine efforts and brilliance of your originality through time.  Congratulations!!!