Yma Sumac

**Zoila Emperatriz Chávarri Castillo** (September 13, 1922 – November 1, 2008), known as **Yma Sumac**, was a Peruvian-born American singer, actress, model, musician, composer, dancer and producer. She won a Guinness World Record for the Greatest Range of Musical Value in 1956. She has also been called Queen of Exotica. She has been called a "pioneer of world music".

## Early life

Sumac was born **Zoila Emperatriz Chávarri Castillo** on September 13, 1922 in Callao, Peru. She was raised in Cajamarca. In 1934, she traveled to live in Lima with her relatives.

She married Moisés Vivanco on June 6, 1942. In 1946, Sumac and Vivanco moved to New York City. In 1949, Yma gave birth to their only child, Carlos.

## Career

Sumac began performing in 1938. She took the stage name **Yma Sumac** which means "how beautiful" in Quechua.

Her first album, _Voice of the Xtabay_ (1950), reached number one in the Billboard 200, selling a million copies in the United States, and its single, "Virgin of the Sun God (Taita Inty)", was a big seller in the United Kingdom, She became an international success in the 1950s. Her other albums like _Legend of the Sun Virgin_ (1952), _Fuego del Ande_ (1959) and _Mambo!_ (1955), were also popular.

In 1951, Sumac became the first Latin American and Peruvian female singer to appear on Broadway. She also created her own technical singing, named "double voice". She also performed in Carnegie Hall and Lewisohn Stadium.

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.

Sumac had more than 3,000 concerts "covering the entire globe", breaking any records by a performer. She was also called a fashion icon during her career. She sold over 40 million records, making her the best-selling Peruvian singer in history.

## Death

In February 2008, Sumac was diagnosed with colon cancer. She died from the disease on November 1, 2008 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 86.

## Awards and honors

|Year|Ceremony/Award|Category/Notes|Result||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|1993|Diamond Halo|Contributions to entertainment|style="background:lightyellow;"||align="center"||
|1968|Golden Disc of Hollywood Award|Best Latin American Singer||align="center"|||
|1960|_Guinness World Records_|Greatest Range|style="background:lightyellow;"||align="center"||
|1960|Hollywood Walk of Fame|Walk of Stars|style="background:lightyellow;"||align="center"||
|1997|Life Achievement Award||style="background:lightyellow;"||align="center"||
|2006|Order of the Sun of Peru|Presented by Republic of Peru|style="background:lightyellow;"||align="center"||

## Other websites

- Yma Sumac, August 8, 1950. Malibu, Hollywood Bowl, Recording Studio, Residence (90 photos), by Peter Stackpole for _LIFE_ magazine

## Infobox (musical artist)

- **name**: Yma Sumac
- **image**: Imma Sumack 1940s (cropped).jpg
- **caption**: Sumac in 1947
- **birth name**: Zoila Emperatriz Chávarri Castillo
- **birth place**: Callao, Peru, Callao, Peru
- **death place**: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- **occupation**: Singer, actress, model, dancer, composer and musical producer
- **years active**: 1938–1976, 1984–1997