Lido Pimienta Brings Her Afro Colombian Roots to Electronic Pop as EQUAL Artist of the Month
You may remember Lido Pimienta from our Spotify Singles: Pride playlist back in June. Now, the Grammy-nominated musician, a self-proclaimed “traditional-transgressive punk folklorist,” is back again as Spotify’s EQUAL Global Artist of the Month.
As a child, Lido immigrated to Canada with her family, where she now lives. She sings in both Spanish and English as she incorporates Afro Colombian sounds and rhythms into her experimental electronic pop. Her music—a mix of velvety smooth cumbia and bullerengue influences and uptempo synthpop—reflects her multifaceted background.
In 2017, Lido’s unique sound earned her Canada’s top juried music award, the Polaris Music Prize, for her experimental album La Papessa. Fast-forward to 2021 and Lido is part of Spotify’s EQUAL Global Music Program, which aims to combat gender disparity in the music industry. Her song “Nada,” from the album Miss Colombia, is featured on Spotify’s EQUAL Global playlist, and as Global Artist of the Month, Lido takes her throne on the cover of the playlist. The program works to amplify the work of women creators around the world through an extension of resources and opportunities.
For the Record asked Lido to fill in the blanks and give us insight into her inspirations, creative process, and visions for the future of music.
The artists who have most inspired me are _____.
Ms. Lauryn Hill, Nelly Furtado, Etelvina Maldonado, Alanis Morissette, Björk, Li Saumet, Aterciopelados, and Petrona Martinez.
One piece of advice I’d give other women artists is _____ .
Document everything you create at all times and learn the basics of whatever it is that you love to do. If singing is your thing, learn about the best mics and the gear that will make you sound great, and learn the basics of recording yourself so that you can create your own demos. Always have the blueprint of your creations because, as women in this business, people will dismiss our voices and assume someone else must have made what you created. The best advice of all: Stay away from social climbers!
One notable moment in my career so far is _____.
Winning the Polaris Music Prize with an album that was entirely in Spanish, without a label and without any kind of representation or PR. It validated my potential and it helped me believe in myself.
My creative process consists of _____.
Cleaning the house, playing with my kids, and walking to the studio while blasting music in my headphones. When I turn on my setup, I do so with gratitude. I also pull up my schedule so that I start working with a very clear agenda of what needs to be finished. I get the administrative and non-creative work out of the way, and then I get to work! Sometimes, if I am tired and don’t feel fully motivated, I will watch a video of a live concert of an artist I like. Or I will watch stuff from artists just so I can see how they perform and what their tech setup is onstage—that usually gets me really inspired.
One way I’d like to see greater gender equity in the music industry is _____.
If all music festivals, venues, and any other platform with curation or programming power were obligated to book women at a minimum 50/50 rate, it would level the playing field just a tiny bit. Radio and media should have the same rule.
A few up-and-coming women artists I’m excited to watch are _____.
Barbie Perreo, Mabiland and the Red De Tamboreras de Colombia, Las Áñez, La Bruja de Texcoco, Sydanie, Lali De La Hoz, Pelada, LeeLee Yotp, Marie-Gold, Backxwash, Summer Hunting, and Laurence-Anne.
My girl-power anthem is _____.
Listen to Lido and her fellow women artists on Spotify’s EQUAL Global playlist below:
