Yma Sumac, the Peruvian songbird, is dead. Long live Amy Camus, Nightingale of the Andes.
Her life was a testament to the power of American re-creation. Her death is a reminder of the dominion of acoustic acrobatics.
Personal biography: Born Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chavarri del Castillo in 1922 in Peru, she arrived in the States with the exotic moniker Yma Sumac and an astounding vocal range (from low baritone to high soprano) richly sought by Hollywood and Broadway. As Wikipedia so subtly presents it, "The combination of her extraordinary voice, exotic looks, and stage personality made her a hit with American audiences."
Her life was a testament to the power of American re-creation. Her death is a reminder of the dominion of acoustic acrobatics.
Personal biography: Born Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chavarri del Castillo in 1922 in Peru, she arrived in the States with the exotic moniker Yma Sumac and an astounding vocal range (from low baritone to high soprano) richly sought by Hollywood and Broadway. As Wikipedia so subtly presents it, "The combination of her extraordinary voice, exotic looks, and stage personality made her a hit with American audiences."
Public hagiography: A Jewish girl from Brooklyn who changed her birth date, wrote her name backwards, and claimed regal Incan ancestry, exploded on the 1950's American music scene with Mambo styled South American folk songs orchestrated by the eminent Les Baxter. As Wikipedia so subtly presents it, "The combination of her extraordinary voice, exotic looks, and stage personality made her a hit with American audiences."
Both histories were, at one time and another, publicly approved by the indefatigable chanteuse, but only one (or neither) of the tales is true. Before you conduct your digital research, share with us which of the two you would ascribe to, upon which of the two you would wager the family home's mortgage.
Both histories were, at one time and another, publicly approved by the indefatigable chanteuse, but only one (or neither) of the tales is true. Before you conduct your digital research, share with us which of the two you would ascribe to, upon which of the two you would wager the family home's mortgage.And we wonder why a voter or two (or hundred thousand) doubted the true biography of (Barry) Barack Obama. How many of us tell consistent, coherent tales of our journeys with each passing year? How many of us stretch our stories to reach the shrill heights of the voice of Yma/Amy?
Long live the hope of renewal!
I would likely bet on the backwards name story, but I would want neither to be true because that just seems more interesting
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