She describes her time in London as 'horrible', but Lido Pimienta still calls the Forest City home.

The Colombian-Canadian synth-pop artist has lived in Toronto for the past five years, but she and her family first lived in London after emigrating from Colombia a decade ago.

Pimienta is in the national spotlight after her album, La Papessa, was awarded this year's Polaris Music Prize - a $50,000 jury-appointed award for the best Canadian album, regardless of genre.

In an interview with CBC Radio's Afternoon Drive, Pimienta looked back on her time as a new Canadian in London, and recalled being the target of racism.

"Two weeks after [arriving in London from Colombia], I'm on my way to take some bus on Ridout Street, and this man takes a look at me and blows his cigarette in my face and tells me to go back to my country," she said.

"That was my welcoming to London."

Elsewhere in the interview, she credited her time at Beal Secondary School for nurturing her creativity.

"In that little cocoon or shelter of artists and friends, I was able to protect myself from racism in London. I was able to create this body of work and equip myself with the tools to survive whatever else in whatever city in the world."

Listen to the full interview below.