Yma Sumac

Yma Sumac was a famous singer from Peru.

She had a very special voice. As a child, she mimicked birds and animals. This helped her sing very high and very low.

She sang many songs from her home. People all over the world bought her music. She even performed on Broadway.

She was a star in many lands. She sold many millions of records.

She is still remembered today. Her music was a big success.

Yma Sumac was a famous singer from Peru.

Her name means "how beautiful" in the Quechua language. As a young girl, she lived in the Andes mountains. She used to mimic the sounds of birds and animals. This helped her develop a very large vocal range.

Some reports say her voice could reach five octaves. Most trained singers only have a range of three octaves. This made her a star all over the world.

She was a pioneer of world music. Her first album, Voice of the Xtabay, sold one million copies. She was the first Peruvian female singer to perform on Broadway.

In 1960, she became the first Latin American woman to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She sold over 40 million records in her life. This made her the best-selling singer from Peru in history. She even toured the Soviet Union and sold 20 million tickets. People still use her music in films and ads today.

Yma Sumac was a famous singer from Peru who changed how people heard music. Her name, Yma Sumac, means "how beautiful" in the Quechua language.

She was known as the "Queen of Exotica" and a pioneer of world music. People loved her because she had an extraordinary voice that could reach many different notes. Some reports say her range was as wide as five octaves.

This is much larger than the three octaves a typical trained singer might have. She used this talent to become one of the most successful singers in history.

Her unique way of singing came from her childhood in the Andes mountains. While growing up, she would imitate the sounds of birds and other animals. This helped her develop what she called "double voice" or "triple coloratura."

This special technique allowed her to sing with incredible skill. She later performed her music in famous places like Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. Her stage presence and exotic looks made her a huge hit with audiences. She brought the sounds of South American folk songs to the whole world.

Sumac's journey to fame began long before she became an international star. She was born Zoila Emperatriz Chávarri Castillo on September 13, 1922, in Callao, Peru. She grew up in Cajamarca with her parents and five siblings. In 1934, she moved to Lima to live with her relatives. She began taking private music lessons when she was only five years old. Her first public performance happened in 1938 at a religious festival in Callao. By 1943, she was already recording Peruvian folk songs in Argentina.

During the 1950s, her career reached incredible new heights. Her first album, Voice of the Xtabay, sold one million copies in the United States. In 1951, she became the first Peruvian female singer to perform on Broadway. She also appeared in films like Secret of the Incas in 1954. In 1960, she earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

This made her the first Latin American woman to receive such an honor. She sold over 40 million records throughout her long life.

Even many years later, people still find and enjoy her music. Her songs have been used in many famous movies and commercials. For example, her song "Ataypura" was featured in the film The Big Lebowski. Other songs like "Gopher Mambo" have appeared in shows like Cirque Du Soleil. Even modern music groups like the Black Eyed Peas have used her work. Her legacy lives on through the many ways her voice continues to surprise listeners. She remains the best-selling singer from Peru to ever live.

Yma Sumac was a groundbreaking Peruvian vocalist, actress, and composer. Her stage name, Yma Sumac, translates to "how beautiful" in the Quechua language.

She earned the title "Queen of Exotica" and acted as a pioneer for world music. Sumac was famous for an extraordinary vocal range that challenged the limits of human singing. In 1956, she won a Guinness World Record for the Greatest Range of Musical Value. Her career spanned many decades and reached audiences across the entire globe.

Sumac developed a unique singing technique known as "double voice" or "triple coloratura." This method allowed her to move through vast musical distances with incredible skill. Her ability to hit such diverse notes was shaped by her childhood in the Andean mountains. While growing up, she spent time imitating the sounds of birds and other animals. This natural imitation helped her build a massive vocal range. By the time she performed in productions like "Chuncho (The Forest Creatures)" in 1953, her technical mastery was well established.

Her vocal range was significantly larger than that of most professional musicians. While a typical trained singer possesses a range of about three octaves, Sumac was much more expansive. Some reports state her voice could reach five octaves. Other recordings document a peak range of four-and-a-half octaves. Music critic Virgil Thomson described her voice as both "very low and warm" and "very high and birdlike."

This massive scale allowed her to perform complex arrangements of South American folk songs.

Born Zoila Emperatriz Chávarri Castillo on September 13, 1922, in Callao, Peru, she was the youngest of six children. She spent her early years in Cajamarca, where her father was a civic leader and her mother was a schoolteacher. After moving to Lima in 1934, she began private musical tutoring at age five. Her professional path included early recordings of Peruvian folk songs in Buenos Aires in 1943. She was eventually discovered by Les Baxter and signed to Capitol Records in 1950. This partnership launched her into international stardom.

During the 1950s, Sumac achieved massive commercial success. Her debut album, "Voice of the Xtabay," peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold one million copies in the United States. She also released successful albums such as "Legend of the Sun Virgin," "Fuego del Ande," and "Mambo!"

Her fame led to historic milestones, including becoming the first Peruvian female singer to debut on Broadway in 1951. In 1960, she became the first Latin American woman to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Sumac was a prolific performer who traveled extensively. She toured the Soviet Union, where she sold more than 20 million tickets. Her global reach was immense, with the publication Variety noting in 1974 that she had performed over 3,000 concerts worldwide. Throughout her career, she sold more than 40 million records, making her the best-selling Peruvian singer in history. Her influence even extended to fashion, with the magazine V listing her as one of the nine international fashion icons of all time in 2010.

Even after her peak popularity, Sumac's music remained culturally significant. Her songs have been sampled and used in modern media, from the film "The Big Lebowski" to commercials for Kahlúa. Her work has appeared in shows like Cirque Du Soleil and has been sampled by groups like the Black Eyed Peas. Sumac passed away on November 1, 2008, at the age of 86. She remains a central figure in the history of music, connecting traditional South American sounds with global pop culture.