AMG Review of Ultimate Yma Sumac Collection

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

The Ultimate Yma Sumac Collection may very well live up to its title; at the very least, it's likely the most comprehensive overview of her recordings yet assembled. Therefore, the question is, is it better to go with a collection (which contains three previously unreleased cuts and four rare stereo mixes) or an official album, namely her Voice of the Xtabay, which Richie Unterberger calls her "first and most popular release." Since that first album isn't quite as pop-oriented as some of the material on The Ultimate, it may seem that the collection is preferable, yet that's not really the case. Sumac is a bit of a cultural artifact, so she makes the most sense in the context; hence, the album makes a bit more sense than the compilation. However, there is very, very little overlap between Voice of the Xtabay and The Ultimate, so the collection not only functions as a nice supplement to the record, but neophytes who decide they want to sample an overview instead of diving into the proper albums will not be disappointed by repeated tracks when they go to the Voice. Any way you look at it, The Ultimate Yma Sumac Collection is a good compilation of a difficult artist to anthologize.