Early Yma Sumac
1. Amor Indio (Indian Love)
2. A Ti Solita Te Quiero (I Love Only You)
Voice of the Xtabay
3. Taita Inty (Virgin Of The Sun God)
4. Xtabay (Lure Of The Unknown Love)
5. Monos (Monkeys)
6. Wayra (Dance Of The Winds)
7. Tumpa! (Earthquake!)
8. Choladas (Dance Of The Moon Festival)
Legend of the Sun Virgin
9. Karibe Taki
10. Witallia! (Fire In The Andes!)
11. Zaņa
12. Kuyaway (Inca Love Song)
13. Suray Surita
14. Mamallay!
Yma Sumac singles
15. Babalu
16. Wimo Weh (Mbube)
Inca Taqui
17. Cumbe-Maita (Calls Of The Andes)
18. Incacho (Royal Anthem)
19. Chuncho (The Forest Creatures)
20. Llulla Mak ta (Andean Don Juan)
21. Malaya! (My Destiny)
22. Ripui (Farewell)
Mambo!
23. Bo Mambo
24. Taki Rari
25. Gopher Mambo
26. Chicken Talk
27. Jungla
Yma Sumac was always a mystery. She came from Peru and moved to the USA,
where she became popular for her exotic recordings. The most remarkable
thing about her was her voice, which ranged over four (or more) octaves
- from a deep growl to an ethereal birdlike sound. This seemed so incredible
that many people believed the story that she was actually an American
from Brooklyn named Amy Cumas, who had reversed her name to sound glamorous.
This was always denied by Yma, who convincingly described her family
and upbringing in Peru.
Whatever the truth, she burst upon the popular music scene in the 1950s
with such albums as Voice of the Xtabay which included extraordinary
songs like Taita Inty (Virgin of the Sun God), where her voice
soars up and down its range, seemingly almost out of this world. She
was accompanied on this album by Capitol Records' conductor/arranger
Les Baxter. Sumac apparently hated Baxter because he wanted to claim
credit for her compositions. Yet they made other recordings together,
and it was her first Capitol album which brought her to the attention
of the USA - and the rest of the world.
This compilation supplies a good sample of Yma's achievements. It includes
Virgin of the Sun God, which I can still remember as the first
time I heard Sumac's unique voice. The early recording Amor
Indio (Indian Love) authentically conveys the atmosphere of western
South America - such as we can also hear from such groups as the Chilean
Inti-Illimani - and the track ends with one of those incredible high
notes which made Yma such a vocal phenomenon. Monos (Monkeys)
is a catchy song for which Les Baxter provides a Latin-American rhythm.
The growl that Yma creates at the beginning of Tumpa! (Earthquake!)
is positively unsettling. Chuncho (The Forest Creatures) is a
wonderful example of her amazing vocal range and her ability to imitate
birds and other creatures, while engendering a mystical (sometimes unnerving)
atmosphere redolent of the wilds of Peru. The last five tracks come
from the 1954 album Mambo!, with accompaniment by Billy May's
orchestra. Sumac sounds slightly out of place: a Peruvian vocalist singing
the Cuban mambo.
If you want to know more about Yma Sumac, go to the full and fascinating
article by Nicholas E. Limansky on this
website . Limansky makes the good point that Sumac's voice can challenge
the best of any classical singers. She had "one of the great voices
of the century". Sadly, she is virtually neglected nowadays, and
her death last November passed without the notice it deserved. Yma Sumac's
exceptional voice, unusual repertoire and exotic image made many listeners
regard her as an oddity rather than as a serious vocalist. This album
might help to correct the balance.
Tony
Augarde
CD Reviews
Retrospective
RTR 4156
