Google is celebrating what would have been singer Yma Sumac’s 94th birthday with a Doodle of the “Peruvian Songbird.”
Sumac was more than a singer, she was an experience. The Peruvian songstress was born Sept. 13, 1922, and went on to mesmerize audiences around the world with her unique vocal range and elaborate Incan princess costumes.
Sumac moved to the United States in 1946 and was signed to Capitol Records. Her first album, 1950's Voice of The Xtabay, was a great success, and she was able to tour the world and performed in venues as significant as Carnegie Hall and The Hollywood Bowl — rare for a Latin act at the time. She was also a Las Vegas regular who captivated audiences not just with her voice (which ranged over five octaves), but with her exotic looks, costumes and rare music. She continued to create her own legend until her death in Los Angeles in 2008 at the age of 86.