Yma Sumac: The Inca Princess

You can imagine how our nation fell desperately in love with the vibrant, often sultry and intoxicating sounds of one Yma Sumac. A 1950s USA had no idea what hit it when Hollywood debuted the film Secret of the Incas, featuring the Peruvian soprano. Deemed the Inca Princess, Sumac brought the exotic sounds and hip-swaying rhythms of South America to the states, from Hollywood to suburbia. Her iconic and extraordinary vocal range was full of life, depth and extremes, all bound by the contagious energy and charisma of the singer herself. One single song can take listeners on a journey from the depths of soulful and haunting vocal growls to an angelic and lively, pure staccato akin to the energy of a bee in the flight. The unique sounds of Yma Sumac experienced a resurrection in the 90’s with the resurgence of exotica and lounge music among Indy filmmakers, DJ’s and musicians, as seen in Sumac’s evocative vocal feature, Ataypura, in the Cohen Brothers’ cult classic The Big Lebowski. Sumac’s sound has transcended time, not only played and celebrated in original form, but also being sampled into modern club scratch and hip hop tracks…from the sultry, smoky and dimly-lit ballrooms of the 50s, to pulsing dance floors of urban hipsters in the heart of our major cities today. Yma Sumac is a force of nature, and her sound will move you. Guaranteed.