The Colombian-Canadian singer-songwriter Lido Pimienta’s newest project has been officially announced. On Aug. 31, she unveiled details about her new variety show, Lido TV, set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sept. 11. The first episode will premiere on Sept. 23 through CBC Gem in Canada and globally through YouTube.
“What started as an artistic project during the pandemic has grown into something so much more,” Lido said in a written press statement. “This is a love letter to a little girl sitting on the branch of a mango tree in Colombia, singing at the top of her lungs while other kids made fun of her for being weird.”
She continued: “I’m so grateful to our cast and crew for bringing their talent to every scene, sketch, and performance, and I can’t wait for the world to see what we’ve created.” Part of the crew includes her 14-year-old son, Lucian Elias Pimienta, who wrote and performed the keyboards on the official trailer’s music.
The first season will include six episodes, all created, written, produced, and hosted by the Grammy-nominated Barranquilla-born artist. Each episode covers a specific topic, from colonialism and privilege to feminism and hate. The show’s format meshes puppetry, sketch comedy, interviews, documentaries, and performances – all recorded in Colombia.
Special guests in the first season include Nelly Furtado and the all-female metal band Kittie, to name a couple. Back in May, Lido was spotted with Furtado working together on multiple projects. Other than this unexpected television feature, what else do the two have in store for us?
The colorful trailer showcases Lido asking questions surrounding feminism, colonialism, privilege, and ends with Lido saying: “Like my wise, Indigenous grandmother always says: you’re not ugly, you’re just poor,” backed up a light-harded catchy tune.
“Lido Pimienta is the definition of a visionary, and it’s been a thrill to work by her side to bring her ideas to the screen with the help of so many talented people,” Lido TV’s co-showrunner and executive producer Sean O’Neill said in the written statement. “There couldn’t be a better project to launch our company with, and I’ll be grateful to Lido for the opportunity to collaborate on this wild and sincere project, for eternity.”
Watch the trailer for Lido TV below.