YMA Sumac, the incredible Peruvian soprano is said to have a vocal range of over four octaves. She became a hit in the 50′ with the advent of lounge and exotica music, playing with the likes of Les Baxter and Billy May. Whilst there were rumours floating around that she was really a housewife from Brooklyn, the Peruvian government has since claimed her as their own. Her fame came from doing lounge versions of exotic Peruvian folk tunes, though she also appeared in a few feature films such as the 1954 Secret of the Incas.
Her voice here is nothing short of striking, a web of improvised wordless scat, wails and nonsensical murmurings weaving their way around the music. It’s really something to behold. At first it seems like a joke, like it’s a drunken reveller making fun of the music. Yet this feeling that it’s somehow disrespectful occurs because it’s so unexpected, so far out of this world. Yet you quickly lose this feeling and can simply sit back and marvel at not just the mastery and control at play, but also that something like this was even allowed to exist at all.
Miracles is her last album. Recorded in 1971, it reunited her with Les Baxter to ostensibly record a “rock’ album and make her relevant again. Though you’d use the word rock, rather loosely as Baxter’ version is all jazzy grooves, or perhaps hard-edged lounge, though a touch of psychedelia does creep through from time to time. Curiously it’s not music totally in thrall of Sumac’ imposing talents either, as at times the music rises above her vocals or she pauses to gather herself and the sounds plunge on relentlessly.
Sumac quickly returned to Peru following the album and it ended up being buried in legal disputes. Which is a shame because outsider music doesn’ get much better than the king of exotica making a rock album with an insane wailing Peruvian diva.
Bob Baker Fish
