In 2017, boundary-pushing Colombian expat Lido Pimienta came seemingly out of nowhere to capture Canada's coveted Polaris Music Prize with her vibrant, self-released second album, La Papessa. Her alluring music is awash with strains of cumbia, porro, synth pop, and soaring electro-orchestral arrangements that mix with sounds of her indigenous Wayuu and Afro-Colombian heritage. Now signed to Anti-, Pimienta makes another ambitious leap forward with Miss Colombia, her third outing. Recorded between her home studio in Toronto ...
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In 2017, boundary-pushing Colombian expat Lido Pimienta came seemingly out of nowhere to capture Canada's coveted Polaris Music Prize with her vibrant, self-released second album, La Papessa. Her alluring music is awash with strains of cumbia, porro, synth pop, and soaring electro-orchestral arrangements that mix with sounds of her indigenous Wayuu and Afro-Colombian heritage. Now signed to Anti-, Pimienta makes another ambitious leap forward with Miss Colombia, her third outing. Recorded between her home studio in Toronto and a remote village in Colombia with the help of co-producer Prince Nifty, the album's ironic title was inspired by the 2015 Miss Universe Pageant gaffe when host Steve Harvey accidentally presented the crown to Miss Colombia instead of the winner, Miss Philippines. Described by Pimienta as a "cynical love letter to Colombia," the transgressive, shape-shifting Miss Colombia that she presents recasts the traditional beauty queen image into a defiant multicultural artistic polymath, tackling issues of racism, indigenous inequality, love, and loss. The album is bookended by a gorgeous matched pair of mostly a cappella songs, "Para Transcriber SOL'' and its partner, "Para Transcriber LUNA," helping to give a cohesion to the diverse contents located in between. Standout track, "Eso Que Tu Haces" fuses nimble cumbia rhythms to celestial synth pop while Pimienta's voice soars over lush, percussive woodwinds, admonishing "that thing you do is not love." More breathy woodwinds and brass collide on the ethereal "Coming Thru" while steel drums give a breezy Caribbean influence to "Te Queria." About halfway through, the album detours sonically and geographically to the Colombian village of San Basilio de Palenque, known historically for its heritage as a place of asylum for African slaves who had freed themselves from the Spanish. There Pimienta meets up with revered percussion ensemble Sexteto Tabalá, whose leader, Rafael Cassiani, contributes a spoken word piece before the group collaboration on "Quiero Que Me Salves," which plays like a field recording. From there Pimienta dials back out, dabbling with Latin, Afro-pop, and reggaeton vibes on the sprightly "Resisto y Ya" before winding down with the breathtaking vocal showpiece of "Para Transcriber LUNA." There are many layers in Miss Colombia's 11 vivid tracks, all of which are well-worth exploring. ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi
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