Yma Sumac dies at 86

[jemagirl (imported)]

Yma Sumac, 'Peruvian songbird' with multi-octave range, dies at 86

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbuqH_Gkgq0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhUBJZdL ... pepad.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruvScOxW ... re=related

[Old Greebo (imported)]

Ah! So many of my childhood sweethearts seem to be kicking the bucket! I think her Wimoweh was one of the first 78s that I ever bought!

(and I do seem to remember there was a sort of mini-scandal back in the fifties when someone suggested that her real name was Amy Camus and she emanated from the Bronx or somewhere similar...)

Forget it! Yma Sumac's voice was something really special!

[jemagirl (imported)]

As if her talent would be any less impressive if her name actually was Amy Camus, and she was from the Bronx.

[FianceeUvBigGuy (imported)]

Yoli is in da house!

When I heard of Yma's passing I dimly recalled that my grandfather was a big fan of hers so I called to tell him the news...Mistake!

He dug up an old LP of hers and made me listen to some of it over the phone.

The title of the album was "Voice (or "Song"...I forgot already) Of The Xtabay" and was all extreme upper-range screeching accompanied by "Ooooooooo", "Ahhhhhhh", grunts and other stuff as provided by what I imagine was a small but select group of Amazonian Basin headhunters...or the men of the choir at The First Self-Righteous Church Of Pascagoula.

That lady sure had a range!

RIP, Yma. I hardly knew ye.

Yoli

Who can make a (bad) joke out of ANYTHING.

[Il Musico (imported)]

One can like or dislike the music she made. And most certainly it was all very, very commercial. But also, Yma Sumac entered music history as the person with the largest voice range ever! For decades she has been mentioned in musical dictionaries for her incredible voice range.

I have several CDs, mostly of her oldest recordings. I cannot say that I enjoy that music, as I would enjoy Monteverdi or Schütz, but surely I have to admire it! And it's great to impress visitors! The old people all know her, but the younger ones don't. They first think about electronic effects when they hear this sort of grunting, trilling, tirilating, then realize that for the most part it's not electronic effects, but just the voice.

I understand that indeed her real name was Amy Camus, and that she was Peruvian, was "discovered" by an American manager/composer, and later married him.

Il Musico

[kristoff]

One can like or dislike the music she made. And most certainly it was all very, very commercial. But also, Yma Sumac entered music history as the person with the largest voice range ever! For decades she has been mentioned in musical dictionaries for her incredible voice range.

I have several CDs, mostly of her oldest recordings. I cannot say that I enjoy that music, as I would enjoy Monteverdi or Schütz, but surely I have to admire it! And it's great to impress visitors! The old people all know her, but the younger ones don't. They first think about electronic effects when they hear this sort of grunting, trilling, tirilating, then realize that for the most part it's not electronic effects, but just the voice.

I understand that indeed her real name was Amy Camus, and that she was Peruvian, was "discovered" by an American manager/composer, and later married him.

Il Musico

Actually, her name was not Amy Camus. You'd have to follow the old stories to catch on to the effort to discredit her with rumors and inuendo.

Opinion: Awesome voice. Some of her music is great. Much is inspired by her native music and traditions. A lot of it takes getting accustomed to, but can be appreciated.

[Il Musico (imported)]

Kristoff,

>

Actually, her name was not Amy Camus.

It seems you are right! I just did a little homework and found that her true name was nothing less than Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chávarri del Castillo. A very long name, and quite poetic at that! Translated with a bit of artistic license, which seems appropriate in this case, it means "I am the August Emperatress Chávarri of the Castle"! With that real name, I wonder why she needed a stage name at all!

>

You'd have to follow the old stories to catch on to the effort to discredit her with rumors and inuendo.

I'm probably much too young to know all that. But her very style and fame must have triggered lots of intrigue and rumors, that's clear.

I also learned that her husband was Peruvian too, not American. One never stops learning.

May she rest in peace. She gave countless people much pleasure, and stretched the very limits of singing.