From sacred mountains to global stages.
Logline

An Indigenous woman from the Peruvian Andes rises from sacred origins to global stardom, becoming one of the most extraordinary voices in music history—and reclaiming her legacy beyond the myths that surrounded her.

Brief Synopsis

Born in the Peruvian Andes, Yma Sumac possessed a voice unlike any the world had ever heard. Spanning five octaves, her singing carried the echoes of ancestral cultures while captivating audiences from Lima to Hollywood.

As she rose to international fame in the mid-20th century, Yma Sumac became both a global sensation and a mystery—celebrated, exoticized, and often misunderstood. Navigating the glamour of Hollywood and the weight of cultural appropriation, she struggled to assert control over her identity and artistry.

This film reexamines Yma Sumac’s life and legacy, tracing her journey from Indigenous roots to international icon, and restoring her place as a pioneering artist who bridged worlds—without ever abandoning where she came from.

Stage of Development

In development

Research, archival exploration, and visual concept development are underway. The project is currently seeking development partners, cultural institutions, and strategic collaborators to advance into full production.

🌎 Impact & Outreach

  • YMA SUMAC is more than a portrait of a legendary artist—it is an act of cultural restoration. The film seeks to reframe a global icon through the lens of Indigenous agency, artistic sovereignty, and historical context, contributing meaningfully to contemporary conversations about representation, cultural ownership, and memory.

  • The project restores Yma Sumac’s place in history not as a curiosity of Hollywood exoticism, but as a pioneering Indigenous artist who consciously navigated and challenged global power structures. By centering her Andean roots and cultural knowledge, the film contributes to the preservation and recognition of Indigenous artistic traditions often marginalized in mainstream narratives.

  • The film is designed to serve as an educational resource for:

    • Universities and conservatories (music, ethnomusicology, film, Latin American studies)

    • Museums and cultural centers

    • Libraries and public humanities programs

    Accompanying educational materials—including discussion guides and curated archival resources—will support screenings, lectures, and academic programming.

  • Yma Sumac’s legacy resonates strongly across Latin America, Indigenous communities, and global diasporas. The outreach strategy includes partnerships with cultural institutions in Peru, the United States, and Europe to facilitate community screenings, bilingual events, and conversations around heritage, migration, and identity.

  • As a woman who achieved global fame in a male-dominated entertainment industry, Yma Sumac’s story speaks directly to issues of gender equity in the arts. The film highlights her creative autonomy, resilience, and strategic navigation of fame, offering inspiration to contemporary artists and creators.

  • The project actively seeks collaboration with:

    • Cultural and heritage institutions

    • Public and private film funds

    • Foundations supporting Indigenous, cultural, and artistic initiatives

    • Broadcasters, streamers, and educational distributors

    Partners will be invited to participate not only in financing, but in shaping outreach programs, curated events, and long-term cultural engagement.

  • Beyond its theatrical and festival life, YMA SUMAC is conceived as a lasting cultural asset—one that will continue to circulate through educational platforms, museums, and international institutions, ensuring the preservation and recontextualization of an extraordinary artistic legacy for future generations.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The project is being developed as a prestige feature documentary, with strong cinematic and archival storytelling elements.

  • This film centers her Indigenous identity and cultural agency, moving beyond myth and exoticism to present Yma Sumac as an artist who consciously shaped her own legacy.

  • At a moment when global audiences are reexamining cultural appropriation, representation, and Indigenous voices, Yma Sumac’s story feels more relevant than ever.

  • The project will draw from archival footage, photographs, recordings, cultural research, and expert voices, combining historical depth with cinematic presentation.

  • The film is designed for international audiences, including music lovers, cultural institutions, festivals, streamers, and viewers interested in untold histories of iconic women.

  • The project welcomes co-producers, cultural institutions, broadcasters, foundations, and development partners interested in supporting prestige, culturally significant storytelling.

  • You can reach us anytime via our contact page or email. We aim to respond quickly—usually within one business day.

Collage featuring black-and-white photos of four men, each accompanied by a quote about Yma Sumac and her vocal talents. The background is sepia-toned, giving a vintage feel.
A line art illustration of an Inca princess wearing traditional jewelry and a feathered headdress, with the text "YMA SUMAC" above and "THE INCA PRINCESS" below.

  • “There is no voice like this in the musical world today. It has a greater female voice than any concert or opera scale. It rises to stratospheric sound, or probes the depths of sub-contralto with the same ease. Such voices happen only once in a generation.”

    — Glenn Dillard Gunn, music critic (Times-Herald, Washington DC) on Yma Sumac’s extraordinary vocal range.

  • “Her voice is, without doubt, beautiful and her vocal technique is impeccable. She sings very low and very high notes, like birdsong… None of the notes she emits is unpleasant or unmusical.”

    — Virgil Thomson, American music critic, describing the astonishing breadth and uniqueness of Sumac’s voice.

  • “Yma Sumac’s artistic sensibility dominates all of Brazil with her magical and divine voice…”

    — O Globo (Buenos Aires/Rio de Janeiro press), reflecting her early international reception and impact in South America.

  • “Yma Sumac maintains the audience frozen with a fabulous variety of four octaves.”

    — James Poling Collier, music commentator, on Sumac’s vocal range and stage presence.

  • “The strangest and most exotic… boggling the minds of international audiences with her berserk four-octave vocal range and mystical persona.”

    — Commentary on Sumac’s place in 1950s popular culture, emphasizing how distinctive her voice and image were.

  • “Hollywood took this nice girl who wanted to be a folk singer, dressed her up and said she was a princess. And she acted like it.”

    — Nicholas E. Limansky, biographer of Yma Sumac, on the constructed myth around her identity and persona in the U.S. entertainment industry.

  • “Nicknamed the ‘Peruvian Songbird,’ Yma Sumac had an inimitable voice and striking style of performing that were fascinating and mysterious to audiences of her time.”

    — Public radio commentary highlighting the fascination her voice and performance style inspired.