Yma Sumac
Legend of the Sun Virgin (The Right Stuff 91250)

The Right Stuff's 1996 reissue series of five Yma Sumac albums remains one of the best things to come out of the lounge music craze of the mid-90s. I say "craze" even though at its peak this trend probably only appealed to like 2,000 people in the United States, all of whom were equally protective of "their discovery" of lounge music. (I'll include myself and leave several unnamed co-conspiratorial friends unindicted.)

Of the five, Legend of the Sun Virgin is probably the fourth best, but that's not saying that it is a total write-off. In fact, it's a great album that only pales a bit next to Yma's true great ones (Voice of the Xtabay and Legend of the Jivaro).

Is there room in a reasonable CD collection for more than three Yma Sumac discs? I guess that depends on your definition of terms like "reasonable," "CD collection," and "three." I wouldn't say this is necessarily the best place to start, but chances are if you like Yma Sumac you'll end up getting this one at some point.

The packaging is perfect and the music is a totally unique cross between Peruvian folk music and American pop (in the sense of Ray Conniff). Yma's voice is one of the greatest things ever captured on tape during the era of recorded music.

(Nowadays it's all straight to MP3; music isn't even played out loud anymore, it's just programmed and then beamed directly into your sinus. Don't look at me that way, I'm the so-called expert here!)

Differentiating Yma Sumac's 50s albums is tricky for the shallow fan (I'll include myself in that group too), but Legend of the Sun Virgin seems to be a bit less of the booga-booga and a bit more of the vocal pyrotechnics.

The songs, composed by "famous South American composer" Moises Vivanco (I can't affirm or deny that claim), relate to the Incan ritual of offering virgins to the Sun God, who would protect the village as long as the virgins stayed in the convent and never let the sacred flame go out.

As with the Yma Sumac mythos itself, the folkloric value of the history lesson offered by the liner notes may be utterly bogus or exaggerated, but the important thing is the music is delightful, shocking, totally beyond comparison, and thoroughly pleasing.

Many of the tracks feature harmonies that rival Delibes's flower duet from "Lakmé" in terms of sheer ear candy. The music is more or less straightforward orchestral backing to Yma's incredible voice, with less of the "tribal chanting" present on some of the other records.

If anything, it's the fact that this album actually isn't all that bizarre that makes it less interesting than it companions in the Sumac canon. It comes off much like a cheesy opera recording from the 50s, with some grunting and laughing thrown in for good measure. Bizarro opera, if you will. You won't? My jesus, you're being difficult this evening!

Highlights include the Yma classic "Kon Tiki" (the "hit single") and "Witallia! (Fire in the Andes)" which ends with Yma making a frightening whip noise that surprises me every time I hear it.

She truly is a national treasure, whether that be American or Peruvian. Authenticity is out the window with these albums, that's for sure. Legend of the Sun Virgin is not the best Yma Sumac album you can own, but it's still a mighty album in its own right and well worth a listen. You just have to decide for yourself how much booga-booga you require, as opposed to how much hubba-hubba.

(Points awarded for carefully constructed sentence that succeeds in not actually communicating anything.)

Loud Bassoon rating scale

Review by Serena Pustule