Lido Pimienta, the Colombian-Canadian singer and producer known for her genre-defying sound, was inspired by a classic Czech film for her latest album, La Belleza. The new album, a sweeping orchestral work featuring a 66-piece ensemble, is a bold departure from the industrial reggaeton and cumbia-infused sounds of her Grammy-nominated 2020 album Miss Colombia.
“I’ve been obsessed with this movie for the last five years,” Pimienta told Grammy.com, referring to the 1970 Czech classic Valerie and Her Week of Wonders.
“The instrumentation [on the score] is really unique, [composed by] Luboš Fišer, who was quite experimental for his era. There are passages in that soundtrack that sound very modern. He was able to take this classical, Byzantine music and make it sound like a synth. That’s interesting to me, and I jump off from there.”
Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, directed by Jaromil Jireš, is a surreal coming-of-age tale that has captivated audiences for decades with its dreamlike imagery and haunting soundtrack. Fišer’s experimental score, blending baroque and folk influences with eerie dissonance, left a strong impression on Pimienta as she sought new directions in her music.
La Belleza, released earlier this month, is a nine-track suite that draws from a wide range of inspirations beyond the Czech movie, including Catholic requiem mass, Indigenous Wayuu ceremonies, and even the ethereal sounds of Enya. Pimienta described how her fascination with cultural intersections led her to create an album that defies categorization.
“Sometimes I wish I could make music not tied to [the term] ‘world music.’ I just want to draw a flower — not a revolutionary flower! Just a flower and have it accepted as such,” she says.
Critics have praised La Belleza for its depth and innovation. In a five-star review, The Guardian called it a “moving work of remarkable depth,” highlighting how Pimienta’s “agile, flawless vocals” shine over lush orchestral arrangements.
The review also noted the album’s diverse influences, from Gregorian chant to dembow rhythms, with standout tracks like Ahora and El Dembow del Tiempo blending the militaristic tension of string sections with percussive Caribbean beats.
Pimienta collaborated with Canadian producer Owen Pallett and the Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra in Colombia to bring her vision to life. The album’s creation was as unconventional as its sound. Pimienta, working on a tight budget, offered the orchestra a unique deal: record the album for free, and she would perform a concert for them in return.
“In Colombia, you just got to make it work,” she said. “That’s how I did it.”
For Pimienta, La Belleza is not just a musical statement but an act of resistance. “Will La Belleza still be relinquished to the ‘world music’ aisle?” she asks, smiling. Her work, inspired by everything from a Czech New Wave film to Indigenous rituals, challenges the industry’s expectations of artists like her.
“Everything I’m doing now is so that I can get to that point where I’m living in my village, under my mango tree, doing my art and having no one to bother me,” she says.
Lead photo: Helena Anýžová in Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970)
One Response
yeah i’m not hearing the connection lol