MOG Editorial Review

Yma Sumac, known for donning outlandish costumes, was rumored to have been born to Incan royalty, lending the Peruvian singer an additional edge of foreign allure. Sumac's brand of exotica is not without low, throaty growls and Latin-infused vocal improv, as heard on Mambo! favorite "Five Bottles Mambo." Possessing a vocal range over four octaves, her signature style of moving from one to another is often described as bestial, and rightfully so. "Taki Rari" is one of many songs in which Sumac is found trilling into the upper falsetto range, while "Gopher" musically punctuates her singing talents. Mambo! reached '50s avant-garde audiences to give her early fame, the comeback she experienced in the mid-90s is a testament to her music's staying power and forward-thinking nature.