Original Message
- Two questions to Fans
- I am an Italian fan who heard the voice of Great Yma for the first time few months ago watching the Italian movie "Aprile" which contains two songs of hers. It seems that Biography in this site lacks of details. In fact, there is an interval of 20 years between her last Capitol record and a new one - I mean original one, not a live concert recording. What is the reason for this long absence which probably hardly stopped her career?
My second question wants to discover all Fans' point of view on the matter: How is possible that a singer with an unbelievable voice like Yma has been dedicated mainly to "silly" songs - Gopher Mambo, Taki Rari - and she has not been given the possibility to perform high quality music nor to receive assistance of first choice composers?
In my opinion, it incredible that Yma is not a world wide famous artist and that she is not a celebrated music star like Ella Fitzgerald, Liza Minnelli and Barbra Streisand. What do you think of that?
posted by Archive Entry on Tuesday, March 2nd, 1999 at 6:12:00 AM
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Responses
- Two questions to Fans
- The biography that you see when you first visit the Homepage is just an overview, or outline, of her career. There are many more with all the other details, including one in Italian, available from the menu. I'm sure one of them has all the answers that you may need.
She spent much of the '60s touring, including her many shows in the Soviet Union, along with raising her son. Later, in the '70s, she moved back to Peru for a extended stay. Just because she was not recording does not mean she was not singing! In fact, she has done concerts all through the '70s, but primarily in South America.
Of course, Yma Sumac does sing classical and other material in her live shows. Since her voice is completely natural and untrained, I guess Capitol Records didn't feel they could market her doing more serious work. That's only a guess on my part. Does anyone else have any ideas?
response posted by Archive Entry on Tuesday, March 2nd, 1999 at 6:47:00 PM
- Two questions to Fans
- Personally, I find that a large part of her appeal is that her style seems to have developed free of conventional influences. Formal training, and a more standard repertoire, would make her less interesting and would probably reign in her vocal creativity.
Friends often say to me, "It's a shame that she never sang opera..." No one says, however, that it's a shame that Jimi Hendrix never played classical guitar, or that it's a shame that Miles Davis never played baroque trumpet, or it's a shame Arthur Rubenstein never played synthesizer.
I just wish that there were more recordings of her in stereo.
KM
response posted by Archive Entry on Tuesday, March 2nd, 1999 at 6:47:00 PM
- Two questions to Fans
- You are probably right in your assessment - at least now that she is known for the type of music she sings. Perhaps earlier in her career, she could have gone either way, if she had the training.
response posted by Archive Entry on Monday, May 10th, 1999 at 10:12:00 PM
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