Cori, Yma Sumac was a singer with a range you wouldn't believe. You are right, she did sound operatic at times. If you can find it, she was in the film, The Secret of the Incas, with Mr. NRA, Charlton Heston. She appared as an actress and sang too. I had forgotten about her until your post jogged my memory. I'll dig some more and let you know what I find.                   

                     all you'd want to know at http://www.sunvirgin.com/                   

                     

I just bought an LP entitled Yma Sumac- Mambo! Its smaller than a 33, but bigger than a 45...

I think what you got is a 10"

I love Yma Sumac- I think she is great and will have to play some of my records when I get home                    

                     I saw Yma Sumac on her last tour of NYC in the 80s. She was amazing. She even autographed an album for me! Woo  Hoo!                   

I, too, was listening to Yma Sumac recently. She's featured on a few of the Ultra-Lounge CDs (Mondo Exotica, in particular) but I was enjoying her album, Voice of the Xtabay with orchestra conducted by, I think, Les Baxter! That's the only complete Yma album I own (and it's a CD - I don't think my somewhat sub-par Crosley turntable speaker could handle her voice!)  . I was thinking of picking up the CD version of Mambo - perhaps when the weather gets a but warmer, i.e. spring/summer.

I love Yma! Since no one knows what she's singing, your mind doesn't spend time dissecting lyrics and you can just sit and enjoy her voice as an instrument - and what an incredible instrument it is! So versatile!
Peace,
Pete

I met Yma Sumac not too long after I moved to NYC. She was doing a show at a place now closed--the Ballroom. She was awesome. This was about 1985 I think. I'd have to go look for the program. I got to meet her and she autographed my lp and she was very sweet.

Yes, she is. She is 83 now. She will go to Peru in mid April 2006 to accept a lifetime achievement award and several music related awards (that is her country).  Details will be listed soon, on her own site www.yma-sumac.com (don't forget the hyphen between yma and sumac).