Lido Pimienta’s Tiny Desk Takeover

Lido Pimienta flips the script on her Tiny Desk set by swapping the electro-cultural mash-up of 2020’s Miss Colombia for the sparse, chamber-music vibes of her new album La Belleza. She opens with “Quiero Que Me Beses,” teasing us for three minutes with violin, bassoon and clarinet before unleashing the rhythmic punch of Afro-Colombian percussion and marimba. Every detail is intentional—from her multi-layered, all-black dress (a blank canvas for your imagination) to the way each note lands.

Backing her up are Brandon Miguel Valdivia on percussion, Owen Pallett on violin, Jeff Stern on marimba, Todd Marcus on clarinet and bass clarinet, and Lauren Yu on bassoon. Together, they breeze through four tracks—“Quiero Que Me Beses,” “Mango,” “¿Quién Tiene La Luz? (El Perdón)” and “Eso Que Tu Haces”—delivering a performance brimming with symbolism, texture and that signature Pimienta flair.

Watch on YouTube