Women rights, democracy, capitalism. Not an ordinary thematization from a so-called model-democracy like Sweden. Quick Q&A with Rein at Sziget Festival.
Rein at Sziget Festival /// Photos by Károly Gergely / Ígéretes titánok / Promising Titans
Rebelling, harsh social critique and well-prepared punk-electro-hip-hop music. Joanna Reinikainen aka Rein from Sweden is not playing conventional Swedish pop music. She showed it on her first ever Hungarian performance at Sziget Festival on Saturday. We loved her concert and we managed to catch her for a quick interview about her visions and thoughts before her gig.
Your latest album, ‘Freedom’, is an explicit political manifesto. Why would you choose topics like capitalism, democracy and women rights? Most people think Sweden is one of the best democracies in the world. Discovering a minority report is not so common. What was your tipping point when you decided to talk about these issues?
I actually don´t really see ‘Freedoom’ as a political manifesto. I do bring up the subjects that I feel are the main issues today for me. I don´t really see countries as boundaries and not being part of the problems elsewhere, we are all citizens of this planet. I decided to bring up these topics like a matrix in itself, a dystopia from today cause I deeply care about these issues and I have not heard a female act bring up these kinds of topics all together before with electronic beats.
If you have to define the terminology of ‘feminism’, what will be your concept?
We just wanna have fundamental human rights! We are human beings!
Swedish comedian Emma Knyckare is organising a ‘man-free’ music festival in response to rape and sexual assault claims at festivals. Do you think it will be effective? How can we prevent or stop these forms of harassments?
This is nothing new, women have been harassed by men at crowded places since the beginning of time, especially drunk. I don’t think the solution is to have a ‘man-free’ music festival though. I think we should work on longer-term solutions on attitude changes, feminism and harder punishment to stop these kinda harassments.
Do you think speaking directly in a song can be helpful for solving social problems, changing ‘old habits’ and eradicating inequalities?
For sure. But the full solution lays in society and standards and information and responsibility – from men.
Have you ever been criticised that your music and your art is too harsh, too offensive? How would you react to these kinda comments?
It’s probably because they don’t get it. I get more compliments than critics, people are happier to hear something totally fresh, new and innovating. They get happy and inspired! That´s where I rather lay my focus on.
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