Yma Sumac – Miracles (1972)

Yma Sumac (September 13, 1922 (birth certificate) or September 10, 1923 (later documents) – November 1, 2008), was a Peruvian coloratura soprano. In the 1950s, she was one of the most famous exponents of exotica music.

Sumac became an international success based on her extreme vocal range. She had six-and-a-half octaves according to some reports,[6] but other reports (and recordings) document four-and-a-half at the peak of her singing career.[2][7] (A typical trained singer has a range of about three octaves.)[8]

In one live recording of “Chuncho”, she sings a range of over four and a half octaves, from B2 to G♯7. She was able to sing notes in the low baritone register as well as notes above the range of an ordinary soprano and notes in the whistle register. Both low and high extremes can be heard in the song “Chuncho (The Forest Creatures)” (1953). She was also apparently able to sing in a remarkable “double voice”.

In 1954, classical composer Virgil Thomson described Sumac’s voice as “very low and warm, very high and birdlike”, noting that her range “is very close to five octaves, but is in no way inhuman or outlandish in sound.” In 2012, audio recording restoration expert John H. Haley favorably compared Sumac’s tone to opera singers Isabella Colbran, Maria Malibran, and Pauline Viardot. He described Sumac’s voice as not having the “bright penetrating peal of a true coloratura soprano”, but having in its place “an alluring sweet darkness … virtually unique in our time.” (by wikipedia)

Miracles re-unites the extraordinary five-octave voice of Peru’s Yma Sumac with Les Baxter, the producer of her first album, “The Voice of Xtabay” (released in 1950). Acclaimed for her powerful and unique artistry, Miss Sumac achieved world fame during the Fifties with the use of Mr. Baxter’s productions. He has chosen to record Yma in a contemporary setting with a four-piece rock band and modern recording techniques. The results are a stunning showcase for an unparalleled performer.
Yma is an adventurous musician. She has conquered many modes, from Peruvian folksongs, through operatic arias, as well as popular Latin songs and international folk music. Now, in her very unique way, she tackles rock.
Miracles melds the most extraordinary music of this century with the most extraordinary voice of three generations – an improvisational tour de force. (www.discogs.com)

This a album full of magic and miracles … it´s a brilliant album ! What a voice !

Besetzung:
Chuck Cowan (guitar)
Roger Cowan (bass)
Richard Person (organ)
Yma Sumac (vocals)
Skippy Switzer (drums)

Tracklist:
01. Remember (Baxter) 4.03
02. Medicine Man (Baxter) 3.02
03. Let Me Hear You (Baxter) 2.24
04. Tree Of Life (Baxter) 2.53
05. Flame Tree (Baxter) 2.42
06. Zebra (Baxter) 2.48
07. Azure Sands (Baxter) 2.34
08. Look Around (Baxter) 2.16
09. Magenta Mountain (Baxter) 2.43
10. El Condor Pasa (Robles/Milchberg/Simon) 4.44

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