The sweet spot for home turntable enthusiasts on a budget seems to be the $200 mark. This might be the best of the bunch.
One can only imagine the sake-fueled club hopping that led to the development of the Seiko Frequency drum machine watch.
R.I.P. Yma Sumac - The Astonishing Voice Of Exotica
By bohus
On November 1st, we lost Yma Sumac, a vocalist who rose to fame in the 1950's and 60's. Her voice had an astonishing four octave range (though in some recordings it touches five), which she used to create some of the most signature recordings of the "exotica" music scene.
My mother was never a person who followed music, but she would tell me of a mysterious woman who could not only sing in stratospheric highs and spooky lows, but also used her voice to create atmospheres. Weird sounds and animal noises all arose from this enigmatic woman. Over the years I'd also heard various fictions of her origin - that she was a wild jungle girl, or that the name "Yma Sumac" was simply Brooklyn singer "Amy Camus" spelled backwards.
Yma's real life was much more interesting. Amidst her landmark albums and appearances on Broadway, we are fortunate indeed that she also landed on the silver screen. Here is a clip of her performance of "Chuncho," a legendary recording that shows off her amazing vocal talents.
I've linked a pair of Yma Sumac CD's below. You don't have to be a retro fan to find her music breathtaking. No hi-fi should be without a CD or two.
Here's a good "best of" Yma Sumac CD on Amazon
1950's best seller "Voice of the Xtabay" put Sumac on the map
Official Yma Sumac website
