Lido Pimienta is a mother, an artist, a singer-songwriter, a screamer, a banana-sandwich eater, a student, a Colombian in Canada, a Canadian with dreams of Colombia.  She also has one of the best names we can think of. So we did what we do best, emailed her all starry-eyed and asked her questions about her life, her music and her plans and her views. This one is a real mixed media portrait, all images songs and text are of the artist’s creation.

Lido Pimienta – Progreso

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Where do you live? What is your favorite thing about that place?
I live in London, Ontario, Canada and what I like the most about it is that there is revival of culture, independent media, and D.I.Y movements that are making it more exciting to live in and feel at home. I also live in Toronto, I go to school there and what I like the most about it is the subway late at night, the acoustics are great for singing when no-one is around!

Lido Pimienta – Humano (Sonora remix)

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What influences your musical style? What do you aim to create when making music?
My most major influence is my deep(desperate) desire to return to Colombia. I kind of choke up just typing about it right now….I am musically influenced by a big list of people, I guess what I try to project and channel on stage is Las Cantaoras from the north coast of my country, especially the great Etelvina Maldonado. When creating the songs I start with the bass, the bass is the core of it all, the heart. Everything else falls into place afterwards. I write about love, about defending one’s freedom, about being a mother, about being poor and wanting to get ahead in life, about being gay and how ridiculous that it is still an issue to many…I talk about my personal struggle which many others can relate to, I sing in spanish, sometimes in english but the language is not really an obstacle, because the songs are intense, soul and heart full, I put all those ingredients together and bake a song that tastes like love. Something like that…

What is a typical day like for you?
I take my laptop from under the bed, check on my baby, make sure he is comfortable, sneak out of the bedroom, get a big glass of milk, make myself a peanut butter and banana sandwich (all very quietly so I don’t wake my son up) go to my desk which is usually filled with ridiculous amounts of paper, paint, fabric..ect, I put the laptop on top of it all and religiously check my email, I read and reply one by one. It takes exactly from 7am to 12 noon which is when my son wakes up and I am back to being a mom. Me and my husband take turns to clean the house, do everything that needs to get done, like bills and other fun stuff, its snowing so he usually shovels snow, we also take turns with the baby to be with him (our child is 2 years old) while one of us goes in the studio and records music. My album is just about ready, but finishing touches take a while. I also record for many people around the world, so while my son and husband run out to get the groceries I stay at home singing and mixing songs down to send out to the world…That is what I do every day pretty much, Oh yeah, school days are usually just me frantically running late, dressing up out in the cold snowy weather so I can catch the bus on time, have breakfast in the bus and do my homework in the subway/train. Get to class, and pretend I am just another 18 year old hoping to one day be an artist. I am 23 but look like a 14 year old, so I can pull it off. Ha ha!

Lido Pimienta – Aqui Conmigo

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Whose music would you recommend?
In no particular order Erkin Koray, the Khmer folk music volumes especially the Cambodian Cassettes, Dadalu,Fakuta, Juan Manuel Torreblanca, Maria y Jose, all of ZZK records, Vic Alta Joya, Ceci Bastida,Deeder Zaman, Pernett, Julieta Venegas is always good but her new stuff sounds AMAZING, I also recommend for great music selections, sites like SoundAmerica, Generation Bass, Cooliado, Hipi Duki Music Bootlegunmachine, El Parlante Amarillo and Club Fonograma, there is lots more but that is what I listen to pretty much everyday, of course also from my country, Las Alegres ambulancias, and El Sexteto Tabala, I love Hector Buitrago and Cero39. Lots of great music out there basically!! I love it all!!

Tell us a bit about your name, did you choose the name, or is it your birth name?
Because my father’s name was Ademar Pimienta and he wanted me to be rich and famous, he named me after this rich and famous man who owned luxury car franchises. So my name is Lido Pimienta. My middle name is Maria and my mother’s name is Paz, so in english my name would be, Lido Mary Peppermint Peace, isn’t that rad?!!

Lido Pimienta – Mueve

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