Personnel includes: Yma Sumac (vocals); Les Baxter, Moises Vivanco (arranger).
Compilation producers: Tom Cartwright, Alan Eichler, Cheryl Pawelski.
Includes liner notes by Alan Eichler.
Digitally remastered by Odea Murphy (Tower Mastering).
Yma Sumac is an outrageous Goddess of the exotic and the unusual. Her music conjures images of an imaginary ancient Peru as filtered through cartoon-like 1950s Hollywood, filled with pagan sacrifices, sun rituals, Amazon headhunters, and her, a high priestess, reigning over the proceedings with that incredible five octave voice.
Yma Sumac was born in the tiny mountain village of Ichocan, Peru to a family allegedly descended from Atahualpa, the last Inca. While in her teens she and Peruvian composer Moises Vivanco began making the music that combined Peruvian folk themes with complex orchestral arrangements over her exotic vocalizations. THE ULTIMATE YMA SUMAC COLLECTION brings together the best tracks from her decade-long recording career for Capitol (which spanned the '50s).
Included in this collection is the eerie "Chuncho (The Forest Creatures)" from her classic INCA TAQUI album where she imitates all the creatures of the rainforest over a hypnotic guitar-based groove, and the exotic standard "Wimoweh," which later became a hit for the Tokens as "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." The collection also includes rare tracks and previously unreleased material, as well as a collectible booklet that has reproductions of all Sumac's album covers and other wonderful photos of her in her Peruvian drag.