“Chiquitita” comes from the sixth studio album Voulez-Vous”. The musicians got a little tired of the song and only when they were inspired by the Peruvian song “El Condor Pasa” did they feel that they had achieved the sound they wanted. Finally, the piece was recorded in recording studio 13 December 1978, and its premiere took place on January 16, 1979. The band presented it to the world during the worldwide broadcast concert “Music for UNICEF”.
ABBA isn’t making a penny off their big hit
“Chiquita” topped the charts in Belgium, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, Mexico, South Africa and Rhodesia. The single also remained in the top five in countries such as the UK, Sweden, Australia, East Germany and Norway. In fact, the proceeds from the sales showed that it was the highest-grossing track from the entire album. But even then, ABBA’s musicians did not take advantage of this financial success.
After the premiere, the team decided that 50 percent of the proceeds from royalties would go to UNICEF account – 1979 was officially the “International Year of Children”. Bjorn Ulvaeus from the BBC emphasized:
We donated the copyright to UNICEF. Due to the fact that ‘Chiquitita’ has been played on the radio a lot over the years, sold a lot of records, and now it is streamed a lot, a lot of money has been raised. I’m very happy about this.
In 2014, ABBA members decided to donate all the profits that Chiquitita brings to the organization. It was calculated that in 2021, the song earned $4.8 million for charity. In 2021, the group also decided to donate all royalties from plays of the song “Little Things” to the organization. The money raised in this way is used by UNICEF, among others, for: to fight for the rights of little girls. The band reminds: “Every time you listen to ‘Chiquitity’, projects that support the development of girls in countries that particularly discriminate against them, receive money. Listen to this song as much as you can – on Spotify, YouTube or Itunes.”
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
