The vizcaína Janire is one of the national revelation artists that we have spoken to you in the last year, thanks to the punch of hymns such as ‘Black Pixel II’ or ‘1am’. Janire Bermejo’s proposal differs from the norm thanks to a powerful and voracious sound reminiscent of electronic rock that groups like Garbage practiced in the 90s.
Janire -which is from Barakaldo but resides in Madrid- has gone through different phases before reaching ‘Las Fidas’: he has been a repression bassist, he has worked with musicians associated with Amaral or Dani Fernández and, many before, he took his first steps in music playing in pop and punk bands. Janire, in addition, lived in Casas Okupa and, in a new installment of Meister of the Week commissioned by Jägermusic, delves into a topic that he knows closely: the queer spaces.
Why is it important to collective and keep queer spaces and safe feminist?
For me, collectivizing goes to generate a resistant network from which to be the same, connect with one’s own diversity and vulnerability and other, and get tools with which to develop personally and artistically. The safe spaces seem fundamental to me because they are propitious environments to be able to exist naturally and take care of collectively, outside the prejudices of the norm that tend to individualize and make you feel rare, like something you have or do it wrong that you do not finish fitting. And as Cristina Morales says, “the resistance is not alone, but in the encounter with Otrxs.”
What precedents of collectivization help to devise today?
We could make a historical list, from the feminist movements of the 70s and the transidences and trans communities, to the 90’s electronics raves, through the Gaztetxes. But I think it is very interesting to also look at collective links that we take for a day -to -day basis, such as neighborhoods or friends.
When does your interest in activism begin?
In my case there was no intention to be an activist, I would say that my interest in activism was due to survival. He came a bit of the search for “normality” in the confluence of my identities: as a woman, as a bisexual person and as an artist. There are times when you take awareness of this because you read and treat you differently, especially in areas such as music. Now, I am not an activist, I make visible in my music and in my life, support social causes and I make pedagogy whenever I can, but I would have a very hard face if I compared to people who carry out direct actions to defend our basic rights.
What is your experience in the field of queer or feminist spaces?
They are the spaces that I decide, which I feel like places where you can be calm, which sometimes seems impossible. I do not mean that in these spaces there are no conflicts, which there are also, but they are very far from the hostility. In addition, these circles are generally under constant review and self -criticism. At least, this has been my experience. For me they are necessary spaces.
The concept of space has been historically analyzed in queer theory. Why is it important to build own physical spaces?
Because spaces are never neutral. For example, cities themselves are designed with a heteronormative logic that does not take into account other identities. And building its own spaces is a way to reconfigure this, it is to inhabit a space that does take you into account. This gives you a lot of power, basically because it does not marginal you.
What challenges are queer and feminist people today, in hegemonically male spaces, such as music and football?
Recently he talked about this with Olga Iglesias. Football or having a music band are a canonical representation of male “brotherhood” spaces that until recently seemed inaccessible to us. But I feel that we have begun to make our spaces, to generate group feeling, particularly lesbian and bisexual women, in the face of individuality that we somehow had imposed. There are differences of repercussion, of abysmal spaces and conditions that of course must be pointed out. But I also believe that we are doing well.
«Maintaining safe spaces does not depend on having a law, but that these laws are carried out and protected»
Is there any way that you apply the idea of collectivizing your musical project, for example in your concerts?
With my music I speak of me, my personal experiences from an LGTBIQ+perspective, about the things that happen around me … how could you be telling a friend. I think that is a way to make visible and generate a collective energy in which to feel safe. And we are talking about it, not only on stage, but also in an interview like this.
Do you think that in Spain progress has been made in the protection of these spaces?
It has advanced, but much remains to be done. I think there has been intention institutionally, but that it is not enough. In the end, creating or maintaining safe spaces does not depend on having a law, but that these laws are carried out and protected. There have been many advances in speech, but I feel that in practice what sustains these spaces are self -management and collective themselves.
Do you recommend writings that analyze the idea of Queer collective spaces?
‘The sexual policy of the flesh’ (1990) by Silvia Federici, ‘Living a feminist life’ (2018) by Sara Ahmed or ‘Best Friends 4ver’ (2023) of Crisizarraga … although I think that right now there are a lot of interesting references that talk about this and other related issues in social networks or colloquiums.
What spaces do you know in Spain that you recommend having on radar?
The parties of this is a body organized by the Editorial Comisura in Madrid. I think these meetings are an indisputable appointment. The parties and activities of Bilarabi and the space of the Sinsorga in Bilbao, the Festival agrocolu in Galicia, the festival a lady party or the space the can of Zinc in Asturias, for example.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rncxup2tfo8
