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New Bono Interview
Bono has been interviewed by Brazilian magazine Veja. Interference.com member TheBrazilianFly has translated and posted the interview:
Can rock change the world?
Even without political powers a rock star walks inside the small world that exists in the heads of his fans and can push them to leave home and change what's wrong around them. People need to believe that they can change the world. If they stop having faith on that, there will be nothing left besides alienation.
Could you name some of the things Rock has done?
If it wasn't for rock I wouldn't have the belief that that I can change the world in which I live in and I would have never get to where I am now. It has been the soundtrack of great changes, from the fall of the Berlin wall to the fight against apartheid in Africa. Rock has also changed the way to do charity. Look at the projects of Band Aid and Live Aid, lead by Bob Geldof in the 80's. His idea of get rock stars together to sing a Christmas song and make a concert in the name of the hungry ones on Ethiopia helped a lot of people.
The singer Bob Marley had his records banned by African governments in the 70's, could the same thing happen to U2?
Of course. Our last album before this one has been banned in Mianmar, because of a clip where one of the songs was a homage to local revolutionary leader. Attitudes like that don't make me worried. But I get really angry when governments and economists don't take me serious. Some laugh at my face saying "What could a pop star know about economy?" What they don't know that I am surrounded by competent people and that I'm not there top kid around.
What are your guns to make the things that you want worth something to world leaders?
I doubt that they receive me because I'm a known singer. Actually, they have the influence of a famous artist. After all we are idols of people on the age groups of 18 to 30 and that makes of us opinion makers that can annoy them. What they don't expect when they open their doors to me is that they will find someone with intelligence above average talking about financial questions that ask for help in very reasonable terms.
Why did you adopted the fight against Aids in Africa?
Because it's about a fight without precedents. In many countries they choose who has to live and who has to die: since there is few medication, commissions decide who's going to have access to them. There's little time, I met an African whose sister had just died of Aids and I asked him about the frustration of not having any medication. He said that even if he had it he would never give it to his sister. He'd rather give it to the nurses who work directly with the victims if Aids.
Is there hope to makes this situation better?
Yes, actually I would like to make a public complement to the Brazilian government. Brazil's struggle in fabricate cheaper medication to the fight against Aids is an inspiration to the world. By creating generics and fighting against the big pharmaceutical labs, the country showed the way out. Until then, everybody thought that it was impossible. Today when I sit to discuss the problems in Africa with George W. Bush or Tony Blair I always name Brazil as an example to be followed.
And what's their reaction?
They are scared. Their intellectual propriety is a delicate issued and the pharmaceutical industries of the United States in one of the main financiers of their government. Those people can't even hear about generic medication. What they really want is that it doesn't happen. I don't care for what the pharmaceutical industries think. I want cheaper medication to the poorest population. My main goal is to end with the African fear of "disrespecting" the pharmaceutical industries and adopt, once and for all, all of the generics. The Africans buy from the big labs because they are afraid of the world potency's reaction. Even leaders that cane from poverty themselves prefer to mistreat their people rather than adopt the Brazilian example.
You have fought for the debt cancellation of African countries. How do you help those countries without letting that that money gets lost because of corruption?
I'm not naïve. Corruption is a plague in the African continent. We ask for the cancellation only for the countries that fight against this corruption. And it's that attitude that granted us the support of American president George W. Bush. He assured me that he would double the value of the monetary aid from the US to Africa. But only for the country that can prove that they are fighting against this evil.
Does the showbiz world supports your causes?
Actually, I'm the only artist of weight that participates of DATA, my organization that fights for the cancellation of the debt of the poorest countries, against aids in Africa and for a fairer world commerce. However I have insisted to other celebrities to participate. Not long ago, I was in a party at the Brad Pitt's house and I met many people ready to help. Tom Hanks, Sean Penn and Julia Roberts asked me what they could do to help. Brad even made a trip to Africa.
A dead rock star is astonished when he goes to heaven and looks at the Lord. "I didn't know Bono had died", he says. "He is God but he thinks he is Bono", an angel explains. What do you think of this joke?
Yes, I am God. And if I recognize you in a crowd that chants my name, I'll let you go to heaven with no stops in between. I also give my blessing to the rock stars that engage in noble causes. The only thing is that they have to die at the age 33. But really, I have always been egomaniac. However ever since I was a kid I used to worry about resolving other people's problems. At 13, I became a fan of Bob Dylan and John Lennon. I liked to listen them sing so much that I started having dreams with both of them. They said: "Bono, the world is more evil than you think. To end some problems, you just have to try really hard". That's what I've been doing ever since.
You have said that How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb is U2's best work. Are you sure of that?
I think this record is excellent, but you got to give time to the songs get into people's blood stream. Only after that, that I can answer this question for sure. Maybe this is U2's best work. My lyrics are more mature and I even show a more humble face. Starting by the title. I am the "atomic bomb" that names the CD. In august of 2001, my father died of cancer. I was by his side every time I could. I even traveled after u2's shows from England to stay by his side. But when he dies I though tat I could have done more. I became a human bomb. I turned my back to some things and started drinking too much. The record doesn't have many political songs and more lyrics about my life. My desperations and contradictions are there.
Do you worry about the kind of music your teenage children listen to? Does rap records get inside your house?
The Irish are famous for their dirty mouths. So I wouldn't feel very conformable to criticize a rapper because of the use of bad language. But I'm careful with the education of my kids. I never said one dirty thing in front of them. They even listen to rap but I make sure that it's the censored versions that have the "blip" in the place of certain words. I tell them that rappers are not violent are their lyrics. I tell them that to listen to their music is like watching a violent movie, where the evil man make bad things with the women, it's all fiction.
Are your two daughters dating already?
No, but they want to. And, like a good dad, I tried and test their chosen ones. When I meet them, I threat them to punch their noses and I wait for their reactions. Maybe that's why none of them have a boyfriend yet.
How do you deal with the fans approach?
I never had a problem with that, because I do what I can to don't attract any attention. Rarely I go out or travel with bodyguards. Besides Dublin is a city that doesn't care much about us. In anywhere else of the world people would be excited to walk into the U2 boys. If you stop a Dubliner to say that he walked into Bono Vox, he will say: "So what?". Living in Ireland helps me with my ego.
Are you among those that got frustrated with Tony Blair?
I think that he should have never supported the Iraq invasion. But I really like Blair, cause I know I know that he means well. Also cause of the fact that he is a rocker. Once I gave him a guitar as a gift. Some time later, I went to a dinner at his house and saw that the guitar wasn't out of tune. That proves that he wasn't lying when he said that he practices every day.
As a catholic and at the same time as a militant against Aids, how do you see the condemnation against preservatives by the church?
My dad was a catholic and my mom was a protestant. That lets me deal with any kind of difference of opinion on this topic. I try to help people without considering that they follow the church's ideas or not. Religion, whatever it is, is before anything else a way to get closer to God. There's nothing better than do good.
Thanks TheBrazilianFly!
Bono has been interviewed by Brazilian magazine Veja. Interference.com member TheBrazilianFly has translated and posted the interview:
Can rock change the world?
Even without political powers a rock star walks inside the small world that exists in the heads of his fans and can push them to leave home and change what's wrong around them. People need to believe that they can change the world. If they stop having faith on that, there will be nothing left besides alienation.
Could you name some of the things Rock has done?
If it wasn't for rock I wouldn't have the belief that that I can change the world in which I live in and I would have never get to where I am now. It has been the soundtrack of great changes, from the fall of the Berlin wall to the fight against apartheid in Africa. Rock has also changed the way to do charity. Look at the projects of Band Aid and Live Aid, lead by Bob Geldof in the 80's. His idea of get rock stars together to sing a Christmas song and make a concert in the name of the hungry ones on Ethiopia helped a lot of people.
The singer Bob Marley had his records banned by African governments in the 70's, could the same thing happen to U2?
Of course. Our last album before this one has been banned in Mianmar, because of a clip where one of the songs was a homage to local revolutionary leader. Attitudes like that don't make me worried. But I get really angry when governments and economists don't take me serious. Some laugh at my face saying "What could a pop star know about economy?" What they don't know that I am surrounded by competent people and that I'm not there top kid around.
What are your guns to make the things that you want worth something to world leaders?
I doubt that they receive me because I'm a known singer. Actually, they have the influence of a famous artist. After all we are idols of people on the age groups of 18 to 30 and that makes of us opinion makers that can annoy them. What they don't expect when they open their doors to me is that they will find someone with intelligence above average talking about financial questions that ask for help in very reasonable terms.
Why did you adopted the fight against Aids in Africa?
Because it's about a fight without precedents. In many countries they choose who has to live and who has to die: since there is few medication, commissions decide who's going to have access to them. There's little time, I met an African whose sister had just died of Aids and I asked him about the frustration of not having any medication. He said that even if he had it he would never give it to his sister. He'd rather give it to the nurses who work directly with the victims if Aids.
Is there hope to makes this situation better?
Yes, actually I would like to make a public complement to the Brazilian government. Brazil's struggle in fabricate cheaper medication to the fight against Aids is an inspiration to the world. By creating generics and fighting against the big pharmaceutical labs, the country showed the way out. Until then, everybody thought that it was impossible. Today when I sit to discuss the problems in Africa with George W. Bush or Tony Blair I always name Brazil as an example to be followed.
And what's their reaction?
They are scared. Their intellectual propriety is a delicate issued and the pharmaceutical industries of the United States in one of the main financiers of their government. Those people can't even hear about generic medication. What they really want is that it doesn't happen. I don't care for what the pharmaceutical industries think. I want cheaper medication to the poorest population. My main goal is to end with the African fear of "disrespecting" the pharmaceutical industries and adopt, once and for all, all of the generics. The Africans buy from the big labs because they are afraid of the world potency's reaction. Even leaders that cane from poverty themselves prefer to mistreat their people rather than adopt the Brazilian example.
You have fought for the debt cancellation of African countries. How do you help those countries without letting that that money gets lost because of corruption?
I'm not naïve. Corruption is a plague in the African continent. We ask for the cancellation only for the countries that fight against this corruption. And it's that attitude that granted us the support of American president George W. Bush. He assured me that he would double the value of the monetary aid from the US to Africa. But only for the country that can prove that they are fighting against this evil.
Does the showbiz world supports your causes?
Actually, I'm the only artist of weight that participates of DATA, my organization that fights for the cancellation of the debt of the poorest countries, against aids in Africa and for a fairer world commerce. However I have insisted to other celebrities to participate. Not long ago, I was in a party at the Brad Pitt's house and I met many people ready to help. Tom Hanks, Sean Penn and Julia Roberts asked me what they could do to help. Brad even made a trip to Africa.
A dead rock star is astonished when he goes to heaven and looks at the Lord. "I didn't know Bono had died", he says. "He is God but he thinks he is Bono", an angel explains. What do you think of this joke?
Yes, I am God. And if I recognize you in a crowd that chants my name, I'll let you go to heaven with no stops in between. I also give my blessing to the rock stars that engage in noble causes. The only thing is that they have to die at the age 33. But really, I have always been egomaniac. However ever since I was a kid I used to worry about resolving other people's problems. At 13, I became a fan of Bob Dylan and John Lennon. I liked to listen them sing so much that I started having dreams with both of them. They said: "Bono, the world is more evil than you think. To end some problems, you just have to try really hard". That's what I've been doing ever since.
You have said that How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb is U2's best work. Are you sure of that?
I think this record is excellent, but you got to give time to the songs get into people's blood stream. Only after that, that I can answer this question for sure. Maybe this is U2's best work. My lyrics are more mature and I even show a more humble face. Starting by the title. I am the "atomic bomb" that names the CD. In august of 2001, my father died of cancer. I was by his side every time I could. I even traveled after u2's shows from England to stay by his side. But when he dies I though tat I could have done more. I became a human bomb. I turned my back to some things and started drinking too much. The record doesn't have many political songs and more lyrics about my life. My desperations and contradictions are there.
Do you worry about the kind of music your teenage children listen to? Does rap records get inside your house?
The Irish are famous for their dirty mouths. So I wouldn't feel very conformable to criticize a rapper because of the use of bad language. But I'm careful with the education of my kids. I never said one dirty thing in front of them. They even listen to rap but I make sure that it's the censored versions that have the "blip" in the place of certain words. I tell them that rappers are not violent are their lyrics. I tell them that to listen to their music is like watching a violent movie, where the evil man make bad things with the women, it's all fiction.
Are your two daughters dating already?
No, but they want to. And, like a good dad, I tried and test their chosen ones. When I meet them, I threat them to punch their noses and I wait for their reactions. Maybe that's why none of them have a boyfriend yet.
How do you deal with the fans approach?
I never had a problem with that, because I do what I can to don't attract any attention. Rarely I go out or travel with bodyguards. Besides Dublin is a city that doesn't care much about us. In anywhere else of the world people would be excited to walk into the U2 boys. If you stop a Dubliner to say that he walked into Bono Vox, he will say: "So what?". Living in Ireland helps me with my ego.
Are you among those that got frustrated with Tony Blair?
I think that he should have never supported the Iraq invasion. But I really like Blair, cause I know I know that he means well. Also cause of the fact that he is a rocker. Once I gave him a guitar as a gift. Some time later, I went to a dinner at his house and saw that the guitar wasn't out of tune. That proves that he wasn't lying when he said that he practices every day.
As a catholic and at the same time as a militant against Aids, how do you see the condemnation against preservatives by the church?
My dad was a catholic and my mom was a protestant. That lets me deal with any kind of difference of opinion on this topic. I try to help people without considering that they follow the church's ideas or not. Religion, whatever it is, is before anything else a way to get closer to God. There's nothing better than do good.
Thanks TheBrazilianFly!
