Yma Súmac was born on September 13, 1922 in Callao, El Callao, as Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chávarri del Castillo. Other dates mentioned in her various biographies range from 1921 to 1929 . Some sources claim that she was not born in Ichocán, but in a nearby village or possibly in Lima, and that her family owned a ranch in Ichocán where she spent most of her early life. It is also claimed that she is an Incan princess directly descended from Atahualpa. The story that she was actually born Amy Camus (Yma Sumac read backwards) in Brooklyn or Canada is a hoax. This reference asserts that she was known as Imma Sumack in recordings made before she went to the U.S.; Capitol Records changed the spelling to the more exotic "Yma Sumac". For a few months, in and around Capitol Records headquarters, it was rumored that Yma Sumac was actually a woman named Amy Camus who worked in the accounting department, but that was eventually disproved by Amy herself in her famous "I can't even sing" memo of August 1951.
She first appeared on radio in 1942 , and married composer and bandleader Moisés Vivanco on June 6 the same year. Using the stage name Imma Sumack, she recorded at least eighteen tracks of Peruvian folk songs in Argentina in 1943 . These early recordings for the Odeon label featured Moisés Vivanco's group, Compañía Peruana de Arte — a group of 46 Indian dancers singers and musicians. In 1946 , Yma Sumac and Vivanco moved to New York City, where she performed with the Inca Taky Trio, with Moisés Vivanco on guitar, Yma Sumac's cousin Cholita Rivero singing contralto and dancing, and Yma Sumac providing the soprano, until being signed by Capitol Records in 1950.
During the 1950s, she produced a series of legendary lounge recordings featuring Hollywood-style versions of Incan and South American folk songs, working with the likes of Les Baxter and Billy May. In 1951, she popularized Jorge Bravo de Rueda's classic song "Vírgenes del Sol". The combination of her extraordinary voice, exotic looks and stage personality made her a hit with American audiences. Sumac even appeared in a Broadway musical, Flahooley, in 1951, as a foreign princess who brings Aladdin's lamp to an American toy factory to have it repaired. The show's score was by Sammy Fain and E.Y. "Yip" Harburg, but Sumac's four numbers were the work of Vivanco. Capitol Records, Sumac's home label, recorded the show, which failed but has lived on as a cult classic, in part because it also marked the Broadway debut of Barbara Cook. During the height of Sumac's popularity, she appeared in the films Secret of the Incas (1954) and Omar Khayyam (1957); she became a U.S. citizen July 22, 1955.
In 1957 , she and Vivanco divorced. They remarried that same year before divorcing again in 1965 . They had one son, Charles, born in 1949 . Apparently due to financial difficulties, Yma Sumac and the original Inca Taky Trio went on a world tour in 1961 , which lasted for five years. They performed in 40 cities in the Soviet Union, and afterwards all over Europe, Asia and Latin America. Their performance in Bucharest, Romania was recorded as the album Recital, her only 'live in concert' record. Yma Sumac spent the rest of the 1960s performing sporadically.
In 1971 , she released a rock album, called Miracles, and then returned to live in Peru. She performed in concert from time to time during the 1970s in Peru and later in New York. In the 1980s, she had a number of concerts both in the U.S. and abroad including at New York's The Ballroom in 1987 and several San Francisco shows at the Theatre on the Square among others. In 1987, she also recorded the song "I Wonder" from the Disney film Sleeping Beauty for Stay Awake, an album of songs from Disney movies, produced by Hal Willner. She sang Ataypura during a March 19, 1987 appearance on Late Night with David Letterman, appearing alongside actor-comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Murray.
In 1989 , she sang once again at The Ballroom in New York. In March 1990 , she played the role of Heidi in Stephen Sondheim's Follies, in Long Beach, California — her first attempt at 'serious theater' since Flahooley in 1951. She also did several concerts in the summer of 1996 in San Francisco and Hollywood and two more in Montreal, Canada in July 1997 as part of the Montreal International Jazz Festival. She currently lives in Los Angeles.
In 1992, Günther Czernetsky directed a documentary titled Yma Sumac - Hollywoods Inkaprinzessin (Yma Sumac - Hollywood's Inca princess).
On May 2, 2006, Sumac flew to Lima, where she was given the "Orden del Sol" award by Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, and the Jorge Basadre medal by the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos.
Bo Mambo
Yma Súmac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bonbai es la danza para guapas
Ahhh lamento que llega al corazón
Bonban con amor
Bonbai lamento negro que va
Bonbai es la danza para guapas
Ahhh lamento que llega al corazón
Bonban con amor
Ayayayayayay
Ayayayayayay
Ayayayayayay
Aja
Aja
Banbalai lamento negro que va
Bomban es la danza para guapas
Ahh lamento que llega al corazón
Bomban con amor
Banbalai lamento negro que va
Bomban es la danza para guapas
Ahh lamento que llega al corazón
Bomban con amor
Con amor
Ahhhhhh
(Fin)
The lyrics of Yma Sumac's song "Bo Mambo" depict a dance called "Bonbai," performed by beautiful women. The dance is accompanied by a mournful song or "lamento negro" that reaches into the hearts of those who hear it. The singer implores the dancers to continue their movements with love as they incorporate the sorrowful melody into their performance. The repetition of "Ayayayayayay" and "Aja" throughout the song adds to the energetic and rhythmic quality of the music.
An interesting aspect of "Bo Mambo" is the blending of traditional Afro-Peruvian rhythms and sounds with American jazz and swing. This cross-cultural fusion reflects the diversity of musical influences in Yma Sumac's work, as she drew from both her native Peru and the United States where she achieved international success. Her unique vocal range and style, reminiscent of the Andean singing technique "huayno," also contributed to her groundbreaking sound.
In addition to its musical innovation, "Bo Mambo" became a popular dance craze internationally, with its catchy beat and playful lyrics inspiring many interpretations and covers. The song's unique place in popular culture is also reflected in its use in films and television shows, including The Simpsons and The Sopranos.
Overall, Yma Sumac's "Bo Mambo" is a vibrant and influential example of the power of music to connect people across cultures and generations.
Line by Line Meaning
Bam balai lamento negro que va
Let the sorrowful black expression flow
Bonbai es la danza para guapas
Bonbai is the dance for the beautiful ones
Ahhh lamento que llega al corazón
Ah, sorrow that reaches the heart
Bonban con amor
With love, let's Bonban
Ayayayayayay
Ultimate expression of deep emotion
Aja
Expression of excitement or encouragement
Banbalai lamento negro que va
Let the sorrowful black expression flow
Bomban es la danza para guapas
Bomban is the dance for the beautiful ones
Ahh lamento que llega al corazón
Ah, sorrow that reaches the heart
Bomban con amor
With love, let's Bomban
Con amor
With love
Ahhhhhh
Another expression of deep emotion
(Fin)
End of the song
Writer(s): BILLY MAY
Contributed by Nora F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@wonderjokes
незнаю кто и каким образом набирали саундтреки для кухни, этот человек гений короче
@user-zp7hz1ju4v
Лучшая песня из Кухни! Так величественно звучит!
@MissEviscerate
She quite possibly has the most amazing vocal range that I've ever heard. Quechua is such a beautiful language. I'm so PROUD to be PERUVIAN!!! QUE VIVA EL PERU CARAJO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@makezmuzic
She will be missed. I grew up with my ear plastered to my Parents HiFi console listening to her. What a range!!! RIP Inca Diva
@faithlessmary
I've just found out about this wonderful woman, while I was making the subtitles for the movie Secret of the Incas (1954). I love her voice, her talent and her beauty. She also seemed so strong and full of character. Greetings from Serbia to all her fans.
@santiagosebastianfigueroa8897
IMA is a really good singer. she has a spectacular voice!!!
@sugarfreechocolate
I learned about this woman and her music when she died and I read the story on internet. I googled her and was amazed at what I heard. Some months later, I wanted to buy the music and could not think of her name for "nothing"!! Finally, I put Mambo in the Youtube search field and found her again. Her sound is like no other. Thanks Youtubers for posting. It really helps us old folk, like me, a lot.
@kajakajusiakajusienka6940
heh
@europazy
Rest in peace... descansa en pas orgulloso de ser peruano carajo.
@edmundolumuyiwa7150
I love the way this song goes. I'm not Latino, but I'm Nigerian-American and she has such a beautiful voice!