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.
Malambo N°1
Yma Súmac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tusurikusun viditay
What they do in Peru,
Tusurikusun viditay
What they do in Peru,
Tusurikusun viditay
What they do in Peru,
Tusurikusun viditay
A ti solito te quiero yo,
cholito lindo, bésame sí!
En tus brazos me quiero morir,
cholito lindo, bésame si!
What they do in Peru,
Tusurikusun viditay.
What they do in Peru,
Tusurikusun viditay
What they do in Peru,
Tusurikusun viditay.
What they do in Peru,
Tusurikusun viditay.
What they do in Peru,
Tusurikusun viditay.
What they do in Peru,
Tusurikusun viditay.
A ti cholito te quiero yo,
cholito lindo, bésame sí!
En tus brazos me quiero morir,
cholito lindo, bésame si!
The lyrics to Yma Sumac's song Malambo N°1 can be interpreted as a celebration of the unique culture and customs of Peru. The repetition of the line "What they do in Peru, Tusurikusun viditay," establishes a sense of pride in the traditions and way of life of the Peruvian people. The verse "A ti solito te quiero yo, cholito lindo, bésame sí! En tus brazos me quiero morir, cholito lindo, bésame si!" expresses a romantic love for a native Peruvian man, the use of the word "cholito" indicating affectionate familiarity. This creates an image of passionate and intense emotions associated with Peruvian culture and people.
Overall, the song highlights the beauty and richness of Peruvian culture, while also celebrating the deep emotional connections that can be formed through it. The lyrics can be seen as a call to embrace and appreciate one's own heritage and the unique traditions and relationships associated with it.
Line by Line Meaning
What they do in Peru,
This line is repeated several times, suggesting that the song is about showcasing the unique cultural practices and traditions of Peru.
Tusurikusun viditay.
This phrase is likely a Peruvian greeting or expression that is being used to welcome the listener into the world of the song.
A ti solito te quiero yo,
The singer is addressing a specific person, possibly a romantic interest, and stating that she loves them alone.
Cholito lindo, bésame sí!
The singer is expressing her desire for the person she is addressing to kiss her, using the term 'cholito lindo' which is a term of endearment in Peru.
En tus brazos me quiero morir,
The singer is expressing her love and desire for intimacy with the person she is addressing, stating that she wants to die in their arms.
A ti cholito te quiero yo,
This line is a repetition of the earlier line, further emphasizing the singer's desire for the person she is addressing.
Cholito lindo, bésame sí!
This line is once again emphasizing the singer's desire for physical intimacy with the person she is addressing.
Writer(s): Moises Vivanco
Contributed by Kaylee E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mariajrivera6996
Oh, what they do in Perú
Let's dance, my dear
Oh, what they do in Perú
Let's dance, my dear
Oh, what they do in Perú
Let's dance, my dear
Oh, what they do in Perú
Let's dance, my dear
You are the only one
My dear kiss me like that
In your arms I want to die
My dear kiss me like that
Oh, what they do in Perú
Let's dance, my dear
Oh, what they do in Perú
Let's dance, my dear
Oh, what they do in Perú
Let's dance, my dear
Oh, what they do in Perú
Let's dance, my dear
Oh, what they do in Perú
Let's dance, my dear
Oh, what they do in Perú
Let's dance, my dear
You are the only one
My dear kiss me like that
In your arms I want to die
My dear kiss me like that
@xgusto
@@ErikAo5o4
"Let's dance, my dear = "Tusurikusun viditay" (lengua quechua) = "bailemos vida mia"
What they do in Peru,
Tusurikusun viditay.
What they do in Peru,
Tusurikusun viditay.
What they do in Peru,
Tusurikusun viditay.
What they do in Peru,
Tusurikusun viditay.
A ti solito te quiero yo,
Cholito lindo, bésame sí!
En tus brazos me quiero morir,
Cholito lindo, bésame si!
What they do in Peru,
Tusurikusun viditay.
What they do in Peru,
Tusurikusun viditay.
What they do in Peru,
Tusurikusun viditay.
What they do in Peru,
Tusurikusun viditay.…
@Perucho00
La DIOSA de todas las DIVAS.
Única, espléndida, perfecta. SOBERBIA!
PERUANA!!!! 🇵🇪🇵🇪🇵🇪
@roville225
Yma scoffs at other female singers "You go. Yma stay" 😆❤
@merlinho0t
water off a ducks back
@fritzguzman7320
She was a famous Peruvian singer, I love it, I love my Country (Perú-28.04.2020)
@elidisco
She was beautiful and talented!!
@mamoychalaca7201
Peru , escuchando 27 de julio 2021 ,nadie se puede comparar ,que maravilla
@miwyesc1317
IT'S MONSOON SEASON
@allaboutbeebo4092
Miwy ESC yes
@andresalzate8029
More than Jynx monsoons lip sync, it's the greatest vocalist in history, great yma sumac
@user-wi2ph6pc6m
Благодарю !!!