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Review, Analysis and Recordings Containing
Sejollo (cut)
Sejollo (cut) Monophonic
Whip Dance, Through the years, later pressings with this song had the end chopped when, apparently, the masters were damaged  This is the shorter chopped version.  (Moisés Vivanco - 1:52)
Recorded in 1957

Review and Analysis of Sejollo (cut) by Nicholas E. Limansky
From Yma Sumac - The Art Behind the Legend
used with permission - all rights reserved, © Nicholas E. Limansky
Read more on the Legacy of the Diva Web site!
"A proud and brave people, the Jivaros developed many ways of testing themselves.  One was the whip dance.  Neighboring tribes lined up opposite each other, the elders armed with whips, the women sining, the young men dancing.  An elder on one side would whip one of his own young men until the blood spurted from his body, but the dance would not stop, nor would the young man wince or cry.  The rite would then be repeated by the other tribe in an effort to surpass his show of physical and moral strength."  (Liner notes from 1956 pressing)

This song includes a male chorus who assertively grunt in agreement, as well as the sound of a whip crack.  The accompaniment of drums, rattles and bone flutes support Yma's singing which lies in the middle register.  After a spoken opening by Yma, women join the chorus and exclaim.  At times, Yma's vocal line is impossibly ornate, crowded with triplets, turns, and intricate roulades of close intervals.  Although she glides through all this with ease, she uses an odd, nasal, oriental sounding placement that is incongruous to the music.  She caps the piece with a strong swoop to high D.  This type of finish occurs often on this recording.  There is one disconcerting thing about the new CD release of this particular song.  At least for those familiar with the earlier, vinyl releases.  There is an inexplicable editing of two of the final phrases causing the song to end more abruptly than in its original format.

Note: most releases containing this song use a cut version that is chopped during the last part leaving a noticable jump in the final notes.  Apparently sometime in the early '60s, the master tapes were damaged.

The listing below lists releases with BOTH versions so please select the entry to see which it has. We have not yet gone through the extensive discography to see where the cut version was first used so some early vinyl releases below may be mismarked.

Sejollo (cut)  is included on the following releases
catalog no: SL-9799
Red-tone cover photo, available mail order only 1988 United States
catalog no: 7243 8 317161 3
Double LP Compilation from Greece features tracks from Voice of the Xtabay, Mambo! and Legend of the Jivaro 1971 Greece
catalog no: CD 62 056
This CD compilation features tracks from Yma Sumac's Capitol Records sessions and is not to be confused with the unrelated cassette and 12" LP of the same name. The material on this compilation was drawn primarily from the Mambo! and Legend of the Jivaro albums with two tracks from the live Rec . . . 1994 Italy
catalog no: LA 24
Hard to find CD collection featuring songs from several early '50s Yma Sumac albums with two tracks from the 1961 Recital LP. Little else is known about this compilation, which appears to have all the telltale signs of being a bootleg. It is also interesting to note that the author of the booklet se . . . 1998 Italy
catalog no: CD-45 524
Part of a series of public domain CD releases from Promo Sound, formerly listed here is being in Italy but their business headquarters are in Ireland. 1996 Ireland
catalog no: 7243-8-36 355-2-8
Reissue of fifth album, first CD release. 1996 United States
catalog no: 8363552
EMI Rarities reissue of fifth album from France 1999 France
catalog no: ASIN: B00IWUL4EQ
Compact Disc version of Yma Sumac's Legend of the Jivaro and Fuego del Ande. Probably a bootleg as no EMI/Capital Records licensing information could be found. These tracks are included on legitimate releases of both albums. The exact country of origin is unknown. 2014 United Kingdom
catalog no: CD-12 532
Part of a series of public domain CD releases from Promo Sound, formerly listed here is being in Italy but their business headquarters are in Ireland. 1996 Ireland
catalog no: 796 642-2
Contains second half of Mambo! and complete Legend of the Jivaro, volume two of two 1991 France
catalog no: PCD-1172
This compilation was the first CD released of Yma Sumac's material 1987 United States
catalog no: CDL 9568
Yma Sumac's first CD, this particlar pressing of the compilation was from Canada. 1987 Canada
catalog no: CDL 9568
Yma Sumac's first CD which in this case is a compilation.  This is a later reissue. 1991 United States
catalog no: 23351
76 Hits and Rarities from the goddess of Exotica. More details and track for this September 2012 collection coming soon. 2012 United Kingdom
Although this double CD has the tracks in a different order, it is basically the CD version of the LP, The Very Best of Yma Sumac, and is one of the few known pressings from Greece. 2003 Greece
catalog no: 118734
Anthologie 1950-1959 Compact Disc set of Yma Sumac's containing all of Yma Sumac's 1950's Capitol Records original release catalog. Probably a bootleg as no EMI/Capital Records licensing information could be found. These tracks are included on legitimate releases of all the original albums. 2013 France
catalog no: 0777 7 99701 2 4
Two-CD reissue of Voice of the Xtabay (original eight tracks only), Mambo and Legend of the Jivaro, in one jewel case. Manufactured in Holland for EMI Germany. 1992 Germany
catalog no: 4 XL-9799
B/W cover photo, mail order edition. This early release has two addional tracks not found on later cassette reissues. 1988 United States
catalog no: PDK-2-1172
First cassette compilation has two tracks fewer than the compact disc version 1992 United States
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