Cris Lizarraga (Bilbao, 28 years old) has been singing since she was 19 in Belako, one of those rock bands that makes a living from music thanks to the very good reputation of their direct radicals. With his electric and dark proposal, he has been on the stages of the most important festivals in the world, and has played in countries like Russia, Japan, Korea or Mexico —where they adore them. Activist and punk, Lizarraga wrote in 2016 a letter against the machismo of the music press that generated a lot of excitement: since then she has not stopped publicly advocating for the feminist cause. On August 30, his band presents Plastic Drama in Madrid, "The best fucking album" of their lives in the "worst fucking year" of their lives, he says. Meanwhile, she wonders the same thing as many other independent musicians at this time: if in the new normal she will be able to continue dedicating herself to music.
- "Our career has been a path of fire and glitter"
- "How well you play to be an aunt": a letter from a Spanish artist who denounces machismo
Question. Her new album talks about first world problems and the use that her generation makes of new technologies. What is the most dangerous social network?
Reply. Instagram. If you only know about people through the photos they post and the stories they upload, relationships deteriorate a lot. It's funny, because you are aware that what you upload is not your reality, it is a very small part of your life. And yet, you accept what you see as good to other people.
Q. What prompted you to write that letter against machismo?
A. When we started to play Lore [the band's bassist] and I didn't understand why people were so interested that we were girls. In the chronicles of the concerts there were all kinds of observations about us that were not made about [the other members] Josu and Lander: that if we were more or less beautiful or ugly, that if these clothes or the other. In recent years, things have changed a bit, fortunately, but everything happened to us. Since they treated us like the group's companions to tremendous paternalism.
Instagram is the most dangerous social network, it deteriorates relationships
Q. What is the most paternalistic thing that has happened to you?
R. It happens to me a lot that technicians mansplaining me with the microphone. I am the singer of the group. I know exactly how it works! Some things I ask just out of courtesy. Maybe they are just trying to help, but it always seems that they do not want you to ruin your nails.
P. That is micromachismo ...
R. That term bothers me a lot. They are sexist attitudes, even though they are on a smaller scale than explicit violence, aggression, rape and femicide. Calling him "micro" seems terrible to me. It's like saying "chubby."
Q. Billie Eilish decided that she was only going to wear baggy clothes to avoid comments about her physique.
R. In his day I wanted to reject that they talk about my clothes because it seemed sexist to me, but at the same time I was very angry not being able to express myself because I love fashion and it reflects my moods. Now I am much less afraid to wear whatever I want.
At first they treated us like the companions of the band
Q. You have shared that High Fidelity by Nick Hornby was a very important book for you. Why?
A. But that was a long time ago! If I read it now for the first time I would be horrified. When you are a teenager you hallucinate with all those groups that he names. But when you look at it in perspective, you think: "This is horrible!" It's basically the story of a guy who says, "All my exes are crazy and I'm misunderstood." Right now I no longer see myself represented in such binary and heterosexual narratives, really. It has been very difficult for me to understand that I am bisexual.
Q. You have made a fanzine where you collect testimonies of girls under thirty who have experienced psychological abuse by their partners. Why are these attitudes perpetuated?
A. Men my age have grown up knowing that they have to use inclusive language, that they have to say certain "feminist" things. With these superficial changes both they and we seem to be able to relax. So when you are mistreated you feel very confused. You are predisposed to an equal relationship because after all you have talked about politics and feminism a lot of times and you are supposed to think the same thing. And yet the reality is that we have been educated so that relationships are unequal and we continue in dynamics of submission.
P. Have you dropped a male idol as a macho?
A. Unfortunately, Bowie. I found out recently that he was bringing minors into his dressing room. I have Ziggy's face tattooed on one arm and I still admire his artistic career, but he is no longer a god to me.
They have educated us so that relationships are unequal and we continue in dynamics of submission
Q. What was your great childhood musical reference for women?
R. Dover. I loved it. For me they were so good, so incredible, that when I found out that they were sisters, Spanish and that the singer's name was Cristina, it almost gave me a glitch. Devil Came To Me is one of my favorite albums.
Q. And have you shared experiences with them about being a woman in a rock band ?
A. Yes. Amparo Llanos is very activist. He says that he likes a lot that I put an end to this topic.
Q. Is it possible to separate between work and author?
A. Not in all cases.
Q. For example?
R. In the cases that occur today. That a creator of artistic content of today does not behave like a decent person can not be.
