lido pimienta

ABOUT this week’s guest:

Every sixth months or so, we enter what is known as eclipse season, for about a month. It's a period of time when the sun, earth, and moon align to make solar and lunar eclipses possible, usually two per eclipse season - a solar and a lunar eclipse. I bring this up because we just wrapped up our second eclipse season this past week, just a couple days before this episode dropped, and while I was editing this interview, I realized the timing was perfect for bringing this week’s guest back to SHEROES, because she is one of my favorite modern day artists that shines light into the dark with her work. No matter what medium she chooses, Lido Pimienta is unafraid to explore and expose what is in the shadows, using the beauty of her voice, her music, her artistry, and her creative vision, as powerful tools of resistance, revolution, and honest, human emotion in its fullest, most vibrant spectrum. Lido Pimienta grew up in Colombia, and as a teenager fled the violence and turmoil of her home country and immigrated to Canada. As a born artist and from a half Indigenous background, Lido suffered racism and bullying as a child, but was always finding ways to bring color and creativity to her world, and was a nonconformist from the beginning. By her early teens, Lido was fronting a metal band and when she immigrated to Canada, found her community in the DIY and punk scene, while staying ever connected to her Colombian roots. Lido’s absolutely astounding voice and her sound evolved into a multi-layered hybrid of afro-latin and electronic music, and in 2017, her self-produced, self-released 2016 album La Papessa became the first Spanish language album to receive the coveted Polaris Prize for Best Canadian Album of the Year. This was followed by Miss Colombia, Lido Pimienta’s critically hailed 2020 album, which was nominated for a Latin Grammy, a 2021 Grammy Award, and a Juno Award. That same year, Lido and choreographer Andrea Miller became the first all-female team to compose and choreograph a piece of music for the New York City Ballet, and Lido Pimienta also became the first woman of color to do so. Last year, Lido released an orchestral song cycle, La Belleza, and last month, she released its companion - Caribenya. In today’s conversation, we’ll hear how these two works complete each other, serving darkness and light, and a continuation of Lido's celebration of the Caribbean sublime.

CHECK OUT THIS WEEK’S SHEROES RADIO HOUR PLAYLIST ON QOBUZ: