Entrevistado la víspera de su 70 cumpleaños para un periódico sueco, transcirpción de la entrevista en inglés más abajo y enlace al periódico.
He has been interviewed on the eve of his 70th birthday for a Swedish newspaper, below transcript of the interview in English and link to newspaper.
Anna Friberg meets Bjorn Ulvaeus.
"I have no need to be liked"
He turns 70 tomorrow, but has no plans to cut back on the beat.
Latest project for the entrepreneur Björn Ulvaeus is a restaurant on the island of Djurgården.
And ABBA legend is fully aware of what to expect.
- The horizon shrinks and death approaching, it's just so, says Ulvaeus celebrating birthday at a secret location in Italy.
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He was just been awarded an honorary doctorate at the School of Economics at Linnaeus University in Växjö and Kalmar but Bjorn Ulvaeus sees himself more as "something different" than a musician nowadays.
- At one point I was called cultural entrepreneur, and maybe it's more what I am, says Björn Ulvaeus, who has now revealed his latest project - a restaurant that will "smell and sound" as the Greek tavern in Mamma Mia.
The musical Mamma Mia closed down on Broadway this fall, is this to keep the super hit you now find in a new concept?
- Haha, no, hardly. Mamma Mia has been played 14 years on Broadway and is the eighth most watched musical and that's a test of time so that it is closed down now perhaps is not so surprising. Everything has its time.
But now you are going to get you into the restaurant business, then why?
- I've been thinking about this a long time, that I somehow want to recreate the feeling that arises after a performance in a restaurant environment. The idea is that there should be both staff and actors in the premises and that it is they who, together with the guests make a festive evening.
Speaking of party, you turn 70 tomorrow. How will you celebrate the birthday?
- At a secret location in Italy.
Instead of kicking back, your old age seems to be busy.
- I like to do everything from start to finish, from the concept to it what really happens. And that means taking responsibility not only for the artistic content but for the whole.
It almost sounds like you have control needs, is that so?
- Not at all. It rather depends on if I have a vision of something and want to implement it, I must be with it. And that's the challenge.
You could also call you a debater. Do you always say what you think?
- More and more, actually. When you're younger you are in some kind of popularity contest and want to be liked by everyone. Now I do not feel nearly so. I have no need to be liked by everyone. But there are certainly many people who think I'm annoying and should stick to music.
In one of your recent opinion pieces (Göteborgs Posten 18/3) do you think the criticism of religion should be on the school curriculum. Why?
- You have to start looking at the religious texts more, not just Islam but all. And from there to reason that it is a fiction - that it is made up of people. It can create a doubt in people then maybe not as easily go to these fuzzy ideologies like Islamism.
- Just the same fuzzy like the Sweden Democrats engaged.
You also have gone out and said that the Quran must be questioned. You are getting yourself into dangerous areas. How has the reaction been?
- It is easy to think that I will be called Islamophobic for this kind of thing, but I have not. At least not that I know of. I think the word has lost its value. Anyone will be called Islamophobic here and there, but it is not Islamophobic just to criticize a religion.
Artist Anton Ewald confessed drug crimes a while ago and said in connection with it that drugs are a commonplace in the music industry. You have lived almost all your life in the industry, is it really so?
- Yes, while I've been, but I have always been very tolerant to drugs.
- It was the same during the Abba-time but we were two married couples who were out touring, and we were never approached by drug dealers. I can not think of that ever happened, not even once.
It sounds absolutely incredible, is that true?
- I know it sounds unlikely, and I have often wondered how it could be so. It was the 70s and very permissive with drugs. But no, never. Had we been a boy band it would have been a huge difference. Now we were not so interesting, two Swedish stable couples, they did not bother us.
What is better to be 70 than 40?
- To have more freedom in what you and not care so much about what your surrounding environment does. You dare to say what you think it is and cope with the truth in a better way.
Have you started to think that death is approaching?
- Absolutely. The horizon shrinks, it is just that.
How does it feel?
- I think there is no point in waiting any longer.
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Consider yourself Abba's biggest fan? Take our quiz to be sure. As Abba star Bjorn Ulvaeus prepares to celebrate his 70th birthday on Saturday we take a look at some of Abba's greatest hits.
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