YMA SUMAC (1954-85) Photo archive

Various. No binding. Near Fine. Np: Various, 1954-1985. Set of 5 vintage original 8 x 10" (20 x 25 cm) black-and-white glossy photos. One with ink stamp and one with attached paper blurb. Overall near fine. Zoila Emperatriz Chavarri Castillo (1922–2008), known as Yma Sumac ("Ima sumaq" means "how beautiful" in Quechua), was a Peruvian-born vocalist, actress, model, musical composer and producer. She won a Guinness World Record for the Greatest Range of Musical Value in 1956. Her debut album, Voice of Xtabay (1950), peaked at number one in the Billboard 200, selling a million copies in the United States; she became an international success in the 1950s. Albums like Legend of the Sun Virgin (1952), Fuego del Ande (1959) and Mambo! (1955), were other successes. In 1951, Sumac became the first Latin American and Peruvian female singer to debut on Broadway. In "Chuncho (The Forest Creatures)" (1953), she developed her own technical singing, named "double voice" or "triple coloratura". During the same period, she performed in Carnegie Hall. In 1960 she became the first Latin American woman to get a phonograph record star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Afterwards she toured the Soviet Union, selling more than 20 million tickets. According to Variety in 1974, Sumac had more than 3,000 concerts "covering the entire globe", breaking any previous records by a performer. Fashion magazine V listed her as one of the 9 international fashion icons of all time in 2010. She sold over 40 million records, making her the best-selling Peruvian singer in history. (Wikipedia) A few moments from Yma Sumac's illustrious career are presented in the selection. They include two photos from the 1954 film SECRET OF THE INCAS and one from the 1957 Paramount release OMAR KHAYYAM. There is also a portrait of her wearing her most famous costume, a magnificent jacket constructed of hand-beaded panels, designed by Yma. There is also a candid of her attending the Thalian Ball in 1985.