Legend of the Jivaro

Yma Sumac - Legend of the Jivaro

This album contains the rare album of authenticity: the songs of the notorious Jivaro headhunters, learned by Yma Sumac in the tribesmen's South American mountain-jungle home, and sung by her in exotic native instrumental settings.

To unearth the Jivaro music - the stories their ancient songs tell, the musical instruments of their culture - Yma Sumac and her husband, Moises Vivanco, one of the foremost authorities on ancient music, travelled deep into the headhunters' native territory. There, her mastery of the Jivaro dialect (she was reared less then one hundred miles from their land) helped facilitate the research in that strange and obscure society.

In ancient times, the Jivaros, being neighbors of the highly cultured Incas, were comparatively civilized. However, the advent of the Spanish conquistadores in the 16th century greatly altered their lives. Their temples were looted, their treasures stolen, their villages destroyed. Thus it was that the Jivaros lived in their remote mountainous jungles, alone and bitter, hating the white man, reverting to a near stone-age existence, including the practice of head-shrinking, and doing all in their power to remain alive and free from the influences of the outside world.

Recently, Yma Sumac and Moises Vivanco, who serves as her composer, arranger, and conductor, went into the Jivaro country armed only with trinkets, good intentions, and a tape recorder. Fortunately, the Jivaros proved friendly and Vivanco was able to tape innumerable native sounds and melodies to use for reference in the composition of the songs for this album. (from the liner notes on the back cover)

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Jivaro {2:52}

2. Sejollo (Whip Dance) {1:40}

3. Yawar (Blood Festival) {2:29}

4. Shou Condor (Giant Condor) {2:21}

5. Sauma (Magic) {3:39}

6. Nina (Fire Arrow Dance) {2:10}

Side 2

1. Sansa (Victory Song) {2:48}

2. Hampi (Medicine) {3:06}

3. Sumac Soratena (Beautiful Jungle Girl) {1:40}

4. Aullay (Lullaby) {3:41}

5. Batanga Hailli (Festival) {1:32}

6. Wanka (The Seven Winds) {3:03}
(1)  [may be reposted soon]