The song talks about pleasure, the free expression of sexuality and sex itself, with the necessary condition of respecting boundaries (-and bonus some mockery in the machismo). Seirene said what we felt many and rarely said in public: how machismo and masculinity can be such a turn off. And how pleasure for many of us is proportional to respecting our boundaries.
At its base, the song is about the magic that can happen if there is consent and mutual understanding-respect. In a ‘fun’ but also serious way..
| Written & Translated by Alkistis A.& Julie B. – Illus : Mademoiselle Pin
My favorite part of the tracks is that the voice never comes across as an all-knowing, wise woman who knows how to impose and how to live but as an equally lost, anxious and afraid sister who is now figuring it out and calling us to do it together.
For me, you really bond with a song when you listen to it in your headphones while walking alone. I bond with every song when I listen to it on my mp3 while walking on the streets of Athens and clutching my keys in my hand (this applies if it’s night and you’re a female). Funny or not, I feel fearless, pissed off and full of energy. I think Ritra has been playing on my headphones for 4 months straight, not only because I like it as a song but also because of the feelings it and other fem rap songs give me: Feelings of empowerment, fearlessness, a huge fuck you to those who don’t respect our bodies, a big hug with girlfriends, a wild dance.
Of course, these songs found their place of existence in the communal space as well, because they are the kind of songs that deserve to be shared. We listened to them while we were sweating in athenian, suffocating apartments with our girlfriends, inside cars with open windows on the curves of some island, with speakers (kangouras style) when we were walking drunk around the city…
The magic is when these individual, private for each and every one of us feelings, then become collective, when we all scream the lyrics and dance together at the pit.
Plus, the enjoyment and energy at the concerts is amazing as lately, I see almost exclusively women in front. At the last concert at the agricultural university, having fewer people left, we were all together ecstatically, we appropriated the space and stepped forward to dance with our girlfriends.
The song “For the girlfriends” (Gia tis files), we lived it as an anthem to female friendship and bonding with our sisters and Ritra as an anthem of our summer.
I always think a big reason why someone writes a song is the same reason why someone who listens to it loves it so much: to feel less alone.
Thanks to Seirene and every female rapper and artist who keeps making us feel less lonely and more powerful, sexy and free.
INTERVIEW – 0-100 σειρένε
I am from Athens but for all my teenage years I was leaving in a neighborhood very far from the center ( and it was not fun at all )
The surname means actually 0 (mhden) – 100 (ekato) and it’s a phrase we use here when someone goes from “0 to one 100 (%) “.
You can use this phrase for a lot of situations (for example mood swings) and i chose it because i was very fucked up for a period and suddenly I went from 0 to 100.
«Ritra in Greek is like a term in an agreement that defines the damages you’ll have if you break the agreement.
So at the song it’s like the limits in the agreement of a sexual relationship and a reminder that you cannot cross them.
The funny thing about Ritra is that it’s very sexy and I was not in a sexy period at all when I wrote it. Actually it was very difficult to trust someone to have sex. I was really tired of being afraid that whoever no matter what, can cross my limits.
And very tired in general to think all the time that as women we have to explain why “no means no”. so I thought fuck you all, I like sex and I won’t stop doing it because you are assholes.. It has to be the opposite!
LYRICS 0-100 σειρένε – « Rirta »
Είναι λες και ζούμε στο ring
0-100 σειρένε – « Rirta »
It’s as if we’re living on the boxing ring
Μέσα στο δωμάτιο χαζεύω τα Μπλεγμένα σώματά μας σα καλώδια
In the bedroom I stare at our tangled bodies like they’re cables
Μέσα στο δωμάτιο μαζεύω τα Σπασμένα μας κομμάτια ξημερώματα
In the bedroom I pick up our broken selves at sunrise
Σου δίνω πινέλα και χρώματα Για να ζωγραφίζουμε κρυμμένα βιώματα
I give you brushes and colours to draw our hidden lives
Μες τη παραζάλη πάλι βλέπω πατώματα
In the vertigo I still see deckings
Να σπάσει η ρουτίνα που μας ρίχνει, μας ρίχνει στα πιωματα
Breaking the routine that forces us to get high
Μου λένε δεν θυμάμαι τα ονόματα
They’re telling my names I don’t remember
Θέλω να αντηχεί στα τοιχώματα
I want it to echo on the walls
Μια μπότα τη μέρα να φύγουν τα νεύρα να σπάσει η Δευτέρα με hi hat.
A huge mess a day to soothe the nerves and break Mondays with a charley
Είναι λες και ζουμε στο ring
It’s as if we’re living on the boxing ring
όλη η ζωή μας ένα uppercut ακούμε το ding,
Our whole lives an uppercut, we hear the ding
όχι δεν ακούμε το ding
No, we don’t hear the ding
Τα γάντια μου ιδρώνω όσο παλεύω μες το beat
I wet my gloves while I fight on the beat
Είναι λες και ζούμε στο ring
It’s as if we’re living on the boxing ring
Όλη η επαφή μας μια πάλη δεν χτυπάει το ding
Every contact is a fight, still no ding
Δεν τελειώνει αυτό το beat, Όσες άμυνες κι αν βγάλουμε όλο τρώμε low kick
This beat is never ending, no matter the defence, we’re always taking a low kick
Είναι λες και ζούμε στο ring
It’s as if we’re living on the boxing ring
Στέλνουμε φορεια κι φιλάκια στο ΚΑΤ
We’re sending stretchers and kisses to the ER
Αφού επέλεξαν να τα βαλουνε με τις αγριοcat
Since they’ve decided to meddle with the wild cats
Τελειώσανε οι μέρες που δεν ακουγομασταν
The days when you didn’t hear us are over
Τώρα σου λέω Φερμα , αυτοί που πρέπει θα τις φαν
Now I’m telling you : holdup, those who deserve it will take a hit
Κουπεπε κουπεπε κουπεπε
(Baby songs while moving the wrists)
Ήρθανε οι μπεμπηδες πουλάνε τουπέ
Big babies are showing off
Το γράφουμε σε τοίχους στίχους Ρεφρέν και κουπλε
We’re writing it on the walls, in choruses and verses
Το Όχι είναι όχι, όχι δεν θα γίνει Ναι
« No means no », a No will never become a Yes
Έχω βάλει Ρήτρα, Σου το είπα ρητά
I turned it into a clause, I’m telling you clearly
Τα λόγια σου περιττά είπα, Το βλέμμα σου αλλού και τα χέρια κοντά
Your words are useless, your eyes look away and your hands are even farther
Μην είστε τόσο άντρες είναι λίγο ντεκαυλε
Don’t be so « manish », It doesn’t turn me on
βγάζω γούστα μόνο άμα δειξει πως αισθάνεται
I only show my affection when he shows his emotion
Άμα Ναι άμα Ναι ναι Χώνω αμανε
If so if so I’ll put some Amané on (oriental singing)
Στη γειτονιά θα ακούγεται όλη νύχτα το αχνε
In the borough all night long they’ll hear « oh yeah »
Δεν ειναι pushy pushy του δίνω pussy
It’s not pushy pushy, I give pussy
Πάντα περιμένει αυτό το Ναι να ακούσει
He’s always waiting to hear the « yes »
Δεν ειναι pushy pushy κι ειμαι τόσο juicy, ξέρει πως μ’αρέσει κι ας ειμαι τόσο choosy Χ2
It’s not pushy pushy and I’m so juicy, he knows I like it even if I’m choosy
Πιάσε τη νουτέλα baby, Θέλω να με γλείφεις all day
Take the nutella baby, I want you licking me all day long
Κάνε το σώμα μου πικάπ και μιλα μου με delay
Turn my body into a turntable and talk to me about delay
πως μ’άρεσε αυτό που θέλει να μου λέει
I liked what he wanted to tell me.