Lido Pimienta Teams Up With Owen Pallett, Talks La Bellesza, Making Everyone Mad

Above: Lido Pimienta by Ada Navarro

Sun Noor, Polaris Music Prize Juror

Lido Pimienta is a Colombian-Canadian multi-disciplinary artist who builds worlds through her artistry. She took home the Polaris Music Prize in 2017 for her captivating debut album, La Papessa. Polaris caught up with the Toronto-based musician and visual artist to discuss her new orchestral album, La Belleza, Polaris memories, and her commitment to creativity.

Congratulations on the release of your spectacular new album La Bellesza. How do you feel about it finally being out in the world?

Lido Pimienta: I’m relieved because it’s out and I’m so proud of what I made with Owen [Pallett, 2026 Polaris winner, arranger]. I’m so proud of what I did with the orchestra. It’s such remarkable music. I’m just glad that it’s out.

Sonically, “Ahora” is such a striking and beautiful song. Why was it important for you to honour ancestors, their history and ceremonial practices?

I think I’m curious about stepping outside of electronic or even orchestral or Western anything. A lot of the music that I listen to are recordings from the ‘30s and ‘40s from countries in the diaspora that have been colonized, where culture has been denied from happening. For me, a song like “Ahora” is preparing me to go to the land of my people and just like to sit without electricity and record at night with whatever instrumentation is available in a limited color palette. What can I do within the restraint of a context which is very much the immigrant plight, the colonized plight? “Ahora” is kind of like for me to move forward, I need to go to the past for me to know who I am, I need to know where I’m from.

I’ve read that you drew inspiration from a wide range of art, music and film. Is there anything surprising that has inspired you throughout the writing process?

There’s this Czech composer called Luboš Fišer. He’s like a total freak that made this soundtrack to, like a freak film that I love that’s called Valerie and Her Week of Wonders. Maybe that’s a surprising thing. It’s just kind of like, “Why is this girl who’s in Colombia listening to some Czech pervert?” What’s the big deal? Like, was it hard to make an orchestral album? I did it. I don’t want anything that I do to be deemed as anything more than I made a record, and now I have to help my kids with their homework.”

Did you learn anything about yourself as a musician throughout this process?

What I discovered about myself in the process of making this album is that I am what I suspected that I had in me, which is resilience and like having a different outlook and it’s just like the teachings of the people before you that just had to make it work. I am really good at making music, and I am really good at creating a musical universe that is composed of all this, you know, polyrhythmic, harmonic information that is going to make you cry. That’s what I do. I might not make you dance, but I’m going to make you cry, and that’s good.

What’s one thing you’re working on right now that excites you?

I have an opening at my local gallery in London, Ontario, so I’m making tons of artwork. I’m going to take the summer to just focus on making visual art. For me, as soon as I’m done making music, I need to not make music, although I’m always making music with other people. But for now, what’s exciting is that always being in a constant state of creation, and that’s a very exciting place to be because I’m always inspired.

Looking back, what impact did the Polaris nomination have on you or your music?

It’s nice to have an award where you don’t necessarily have to be super-famous to be considered, but that you actually need to just move a group of people .At the time that I won Polaris, I was still pretty fresh to Canada. I have so much more perspective, because I am so much wiser now. I was so green and innocent when I got my award. I probably didn’t understand it because I wasn’t ready to win. La Papessa wasn’t even supposed to be a real album. Looking back, I hope that I get nominated again. I know that if I win, I’ll be able to be more self-aware because I’m positioned like I’m in my power.

What is your favourite Polaris memory?

My speech, where I made everybody mad.

What’s your favourite Polaris-nominated album, besides your own, and why?

Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs by Klô Pelgag. She embodies what being a true artist is and I think that she represents Quebec really well. She’s a great artist and I really admire her. She has such a clear point of view.

Why do you think celebrating exceptional and artful Canadian music matters?

It is important to be celebrated and to get your flowers while you’re alive and to not gatekeep culture and to show people that what they do matters.