Yma Sumac Essentials

Yma Sumac Essentials

A revered exotica artist, Peruvian singer Yma Sumac captured the attention of music lovers in the '50s with her nearly five-octave range and an otherworldly sound that drew from Latin and Incan influences. Born in Callao in 1922, she recorded her first album as a teen but hit the big time after relocating to New York in 1946. Over the course of eight studio albums beginning with 1950's Voice of the Xtabay, she charmed listeners with her ability to switch from low growls to bird-like highs while accompanied by frenetic and far-out orchestration. Sumac passed away in Los Angeles in 2008.

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