Yma Sumac was a soprano singer and an icon of the exotica movement. Known for her
multi-octave voice, she was the highest selling artist for Capitol
Records in the 1950s and her voice, incredible stage presence and unique
style have made her an enduring icon for the last six decades.
She was born Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chávarri del Castillo on September 10, 1923, in Perú. The government of Peru in 1946 formally supported her claim to be descended from Atahualpa, the last Incan emperor. She adopted the stage name of Imma Sumack (also spelled Ymma Sumack and Ima
Sumack) before she left South America for the United States. Sumac first appeared on the radio in 1942.
A now classic record, 'Voice of the Xtabay' was recorded in 1950 and sold over 100,000 copies. After a massively
successful concert at the Hollywood Bowl that same year, Yma Sumac would
become world famous and travel the globe and become a vocal phenomenon.
Sumac toured and recorded albums for the entire decade of the 50's,
appeared in at least 4 films, had worldwide fan clubs and was eventually
declared "the 8th wonder of the world."
In the early 1970’s Yma Sumac recorded a complete album of psychedelic music,
titled ‘Miracles.’ Due to her now infamous temperament, the album was quickly pulled from record stores everywhere. This is one of the rarest of Yma Sumac
memorabilia today.
She died on November 1st, 2008, in Los Angeles, California.
