Music
Here you will find EXCLUSIVE Yma Sumac music that will not be found anywhere else. These tracks are from her own personal archives that have, in most cases, not been heard publicly before. ONLY available here at yma-sumac.com. You can listen to excerpts here and download digital copies of the full album or individual songs. (All audio restoration by John H Haley).
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©Damon Devine/www.yma-sumac.com
The Voice volume one
Released in 2011, this album would undoubtedly be Sumac's favorite had it been released in her lifetime. Throughout many years of conversation with her friend and assistant, Sumac often spoke of songs she sang in concert that she very much wanted to record, but was trapped in the Peruvian / Exotica genre by Capitol Records. She sang an extraordinary vocalese version of Debussy's “Clair de Lune” as well as Mozart's “Queen of the Night Aria.” She was very proud of them. This album features Sumac's most diverse collection of songs, as she sings in Spanish, English, Russian, Italian and Quechua. Some fan favorites are included, versions never before heard by audiences of the last 60 + years. These songs were recorded in concert all over the world.
12 unreleased and remastered songs ONLY available from yma-sumac.com (from original reel to reel tapes)
Track listing
1 Queen of the Night Mambo (with spoken introduction), live at the Cotillion Room, Pierre Hotel, New York City, November 1955.
2 Deep River, live at the Red Rocks Amphitheater, Denver, July 28, 1953.
3 Amor Indio, live at the Cotillion Room, Pierre Hotel, New York City, November 1955.
4 Taita Inty, live at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, August 12, 1950.
5 Love is a many splendored thing, live at the Cotillion Room, Pierre Hotel, New York City, November 1955.
6 Tumpa, live at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, August 12, 1950.
7 Moscow Nights, live in Moscow, July 3, 1961.
8 Clair de Lune, live at the Lewisohn Stadium, New York City, June 25, 1953.
9 Malambo #1 (with spoken introduction), live at the Cotillion Room, Pierre Hotel, New York City, November 1955.
10 Chuncho (with spoken introduction), live at the Marine Room, Edgewater Hotel, Chicago, January 21, 1953.
11 La Pampa y la Puna, live at the Mikado Theater, Tokyo, 1963.
12 Puccini's Vissi d'arte, from Tosca, live at the Red Rocks Amphitheater, Denver, July 28, 1953.
The Voice volume two
This is the “sister” to The Voice volume one. More diverse songs recorded all over the world. Fans anxiously awaited this release for two years. Yma Sumac sings her version of “La Bamba” and completely owns it “Yma Sumac style” as she used to say. Songs range from 1950 to 1975.
14 unreleased and remastered songs ONLY available from yma-sumac.com (from original reel to reel tapes).
Track listing
1 Goomba Boomba, live in Puerto Rico, March 6, 1958.
2 Puccini's O mio babbino caro, from Gianni Schicchi, live at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Denver, July 28, 1953.
3 La Bamba, from a private acetate recording, circa 1950 (Inca Taqui Trio).
4 Cottrau's Fenesta Che Lucive, live at the Town Hall, New York City, May 23, 1975.
5 Wayno, live at the Marine Room Edgewater Hotel, Chicago, January 21, 1953.
6 Inca Waltz, live in Ayacucho, Peru, March 21, 1953.
7 Caminito del Indio, live at unknown venue, early 1950's (Inca Taqui Trio).
8 El trinar de las aves, live at the Town Hall, New York City, May 22, 1975.
9 Malambo #1 (early version in F), live at unknown venue, circa 1953.
10 Suray Surita, live at unknown venue, Western U.S. Tour, October 1954.
11 Señor, live at the Town Hall, New York City, May 23, 1975.
12 Cueca Chilena, live at unknown venue, early 1950's (Inca Taqui Trio).
13 Babalú (early version), from a private acetate recording, circa 1950 (Inca Taqui Trio).
14 Debussy's Clair de Lune, voice and piano, live at unknown venue, circa 1953.
This album was released in 2010 when we found audio restoration expert John Haley, (of the Bel Canto Society). He would go on to remaster all of the music Yma Sumac donated to her official website. We'd been asked for years if Yma Sumac had ever sung operatic arias. Indeed she had (starting in 1952), via incorporating them into her usual stage repertoire. She continued this until her 1975 concerts at New York's Town Hall. This collection begins with voice and piano rehearsals at the Diva's home in early 1952, the rest from a 1954 concert in the United States. Some of Sumac's well known songs are interspersed in her selection of arias.
Seventeen unreleased and remastered songs ONLY available from yma-sumac.com (from original reel to reel tapes)
Track listing
1 Donizetti's Ciascun lo dice, from La fille du regiment, rehearsal with coach at Sumac's Los Angeles home, 1952.
2 Puccini's Un bel dì, vedremo, from Madama Buttefly, rehearsal with coach at Sumac's Los Angeles home, 1952.
3 Puccini's O mio babbino caro, from Gianni Schicchi, rehearsal with coach at Sumac's Los Angeles home, 1952.
4 Catalani's Ebben? Ne andrò lontana, from La Wally, rehearsal with coach at Sumac's Los Angeles home, 1952.
5 Puccini's Vissi d'arte, from Tosca, rehearsal with coach at Sumac's Los Angeles home, 1952.
6 Intro music (instrumental), live at unknown venue, U.S. Tour, October 1954.
7 Bizet's Ouvre ton cœur (spanish version), live at unknown venue, U.S. Tour, October 1954.
8 Nobody knows the trouble I've seen, traditional spiritual, live at unknown venue, U.S. Tour, October 1954.
9 De Curtis' Tu ca nun chiagne (Neapolitan song, in Neapolitan dialect), live at unknown venue, U.S. Tour, October 1954.
10 Tumpa (Earthquake), live at unknown venue, U.S. Tour, October 1954.
11 Vivanco: Creole Waltz, live at unknown venue, U.S. Tour, October 1954.
12 Vivanco: Wayra, live at unknown venue, U.S. Tour, October 1954.
13 Vivanco: Coquettes, live at unknown venue, U.S. Tour, October 1954.
14 Vivanco: Pachamama, live at unknown venue, U.S. Tour, October 1954.
15 Yma's lament, live at unknown venue, U.S. Tour, October 1954.
16 Kon Tiki, live at unknown venue, U.S. Tour, October 1954.
The Arias & More
Uncharacteristically undated (the Diva dated everything in her possession) are these later recordings, Sumac's final. We've gathered somewhere between 1989 and 1993. This is a much shorter album of compositions, written and recorded by the lady herself in an unknown studio in either Los Angeles or New York. An extremely rare 1970's version of “Inca Love Song” is added as a bonus track. Sumac sang these songs in concerts from 1984 to 1997 in The United States, Germany, France, Canada and Brazil.
5 unreleased and remastered songs only available from yma-sumac.com (from original tapes).
Track listing
1 My real true love
2 Eyes of Aleli
3 Don't let me die without your love
4 Specially for you
5 Inca love song (later version)