Yma Sumac - The Peruvian Songbird

Award-winning singer and producer Ali McGregor has long been drawn to extraordinary women whose artistry challenged expectations. In Yma Sumac – The Peruvian Songbird , she celebrates the life and music of the legendary Peruvian singer, whose astonishing five-octave voice and fearless originality made her one of the twentieth century's most distinctive performers.

What begins as a chance discovery becomes a journey into the life of one of music's greatest enigmas. When McGregor met Yma Sumac's former personal assistant, an unexpected friendship led her deep into the singer's remarkable world. Today, she is the custodian of many of Yma's original costumes, jewellery, and keepsakes, giving this production a rare authenticity and an intimate glimpse behind the myth of the woman once hailed as the ‘Inca Princess.’

Winner of the 2019 Helpmann Award for Best Cabaret Performance, the show traces Yma Sumac’s rise from the Andes to international stardom. Blending storytelling with spectacular music, McGregor reimagines a repertoire that seamlessly crosses opera, Latin music, jazz, exotica, and popular song.

Making its highly anticipated Melbourne debut, audiences will leave with a new appreciation for a woman whose voice, style and individuality remain incomparable.

Praise for Ali McGregor

‘Ranging from deep, earthshaking bass to dizzying, sky-scraping high notes there are not enough superlatives to describe McGregor's voice, or how listening to it makes you feel right in the core of your being. Completely exhilarating.’ – Broadway World

‘Five stars really do not fully import the wonder that is this show. Don’t miss it.’ – The Clothesline

‘First class, and top shelf. There’s no reason why Yma Sumac, The Peruvian Songbird should not tour all over the world. It is that good.’ – Adelaide Advertiser

‘Ali McGregor's mesmerising voice, along with her intertwining stories of Yma Sumac's life, was amazing. McGregor is a natural storyteller with a voice you have to hear, she brings Yma Sumac to life with a poignancy the audience can feel.’ – Weekend Notes