Original released on LP Capitol L299
(US, 1952)
All hands on deck from Yma Sumac, those brave muchachos who support her towering multi-range octaves lucky not to get blown away to kingdom come. Differing between songs which concentrate on arousing body and mind, Sumac deals with each challenge making it a lasting pleasure, beautiful, twisting "Suray Surita", belly dancing cantina piece "Ccori Canastitay" typical of its rich lush genre, "Zana" making purists rattle their arthritic fists until Nurse Lopez comes around at 6pm with those nice multi-coloured pills. Sumac's vocals here are as more opera-inflected than on "Voice of the Xtbay," frequently sounding too over the top for the arrangements. While Sumac's voice fit perfectly over Les Baxter's tiki exotica, it feels a bit out of place over the music of Maises Vivatica with it's over-the-top Latin music feel. Slower tracks such as "Suray Surita" and "Lament" brings back some of the epic B-movie stylings of her last album, but most songs seem like they can't quite make of their mind what it is they're going for. It's never bad, but rarely captivating. Yma Sumac had a great voice with a wide range, and her command of it is impressive here. The songs by Moises Vivanco are sometimes light and fun, sometimes quite haunting. Admittedly, though, this album is an acquired taste. (in RateYourMusic)
