Yma sumac, pseudonym of Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chavarri del Castillo ( 13 september Callao, Los Angeles, 1922 - november 1, 2008), made as Peruviansinger in the 1950s furore as interpreter of exotic music. She was mainly known for her unique vocal range that spanned four octaves .
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Life Course[Edit][]
The person Yma sumac (her name is also called as Imma Sumack Ymma Sumac or spelled) is shrouded in mystery. For some time there was uncertainty about its name, date and place of birth. After her death by the birth certificate, it became clear that Yma sumac was born on september 13, 1922 in Callao, a district in Peru.Other dates that were called in various biographies range from 1921 to 1929. The rumor that Yma sumac was American, born in Brooklyn as Amy Camus (the reverse of Yma sumac), was already in the fifties as fable exposed. Her stage name is derived from that of its mother, Ima Shumaq, Quechua for what is beautiful!.
Yma sumac was in 1942 for the first time on the radio. She was married on 6 June 1942 with the composer and bandleader Moisés Vivanco. From their marriage was in1949 a son, Charles, was born. They separated In 1957 by Vivanco with him again in 1959 to remarry. In 1965 they separated again from each other.
Yma sumac took in 1943 in Argentina at least eighteen Peruvian folk songs on. many of these for many unknown songs can be heard on the relatively hard to find CD La Voz. These early recordings for the Odeon label featured Moisés Vivanco's band Compañia Peruana de Arte, a group of 46 dancers, singers and musicians. In 1946, sumack and Vivanco moved to New York, where they performed as the Inca Taky Trio-company soprano Vivanco guitarist, and Her cousin Cholita Rivero as alt.
They produced a number of legendary lounge recordings that are characterized by the Hollywood versions of South American folk songs, related to the Inca culture. The combination of her unique voice, her exotic looks and her extravagant personality made her popular with the American public.
During the height of her career she performed in films such as Secret of the Incas (1954) and Omar Khayyam (1957). Also in Mexico she made her appearance in some (obscure) films. On 22 July 1955 she obtained the American citizenship.
Possibly due to financial problems began the Inca Taky Trio in 1961 to a world tour, which would take five years. The trio performed in the Soviet Union, Europe, Asia and Latin America. The acting in Bucharest (Romania) was recorded on the album Recital, her only ' live in concert ' record. At the time, she seems to have been a favorite ofQueen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.
In 1971 she released a rock album called Miracles; afterwards, she returned to Peru. She performed in concert from time to time the 1970s in Peru and New York. In the 1980s she had a few concerts in the United States, including in The Ballroom in New York (1987) and a number of shows in San Francisco. In the same year she took a song for the album Stay Awake with songs from Disneymovies.Especially from her "Ballroom" performances she was because of her costumes and high campcontent a gay-icon.
Sumac sang again In 1989 in The Ballroom in New York City. In March 1990 she played the role of Heidi in the piece Stephen Sondheim 's Follies in Long Beach, California. In 1990 she made also a short European tour, where she gave an interview on Dutch TV with Hans van Willigenburg; They also gave concerts in Brussels and Paris. For the then BRT TV, she appeared on the new year's Eve program. In Germany she took the (now very rare) dance single Mambo Con Fusion , which on CD single and maxi-vinyl-single appeared, but equally as fast again from the record stores was extracted, because no rights were paid for. Although there are some new recordings were made especially for the whole was a mix of her old song Chicken Talk (Mambo album). Also the just hatched CD version of her album Voice of the Xtabay banned for five years from the stores in reprisal. In the summer of 1996 gave Yma sumac some concerts in San Francisco and Hollywood. In July 1997 that did two gigs in Montreal (Canada), as part of the Montreal International Jazz Festival.
In 1992 Gunther Czernetsky made a documentary titled Yma sumac — Hollywood's Inkaprinzessin (Yma sumac — Hollywood's Inca Princess). Also the French Tv made a documentary, titled "Yma sumac, Casta Fiore Inca". Yma sumac spent the last six months of her life in a nursing home in Los Angeles after colon cancer at her in February 2008 was found; they died of the consequences of this on november 1, 2008, 86 years old.
Efteling[Edit][]
On the occasion of the 15-year-old existence of the Efteling park in 1966 opened the anniversary fairy tale The Indian Water Lilies, written by Queen Fabiola of Belgium. The fairy tale tells of seven Elves who are enchanted by a witch and change into water lilies. For the song of the witch has the Efteling used the voice of Yma sumac with parts from the songs Taita Irfan_khan (Virgin of the Sun God) and Choladas (dance of the Moon festival).
Trivia[Edit][]
- The operation of its vocal cords was filmed by researchers at the Leiden University Hospital.
- Prince Bernhard was a fan of her.
- Shortly before her death was to hear her voice in the Ola-advertising for a new product, the Magnum-Ecuador.
Recordings[Edit][]
- Voice of the Xtabay (1950), Capitol H-244 (10 "LP)
- Inca Taqui (1953), Capitol L-243 (10 "LP)
- Voice of the Xtabay, Capitol W-684 (both previous albums on a 12 "LP)
- Legend of the Sun Virgin (1953), Capitol T-299
- Mambo (1954), Capitol T-564
- Legend of the Jivaro (1957), Capitol T-770
- Fuego Del Andes (1959), Capitol ST 1169
- Recital/Live in Bucharest (1961), ELECTRECOR EDE073
- Miracles (1971), London XPS 608