The Most Famous
SINGERS from Peru
This page contains a list of the greatest Peruvian Singers. The pantheon dataset contains 4,381 Singers, 6 of which were born in Peru. This makes Peru the birth place of the 74th most number of Singers behind Philippines, and Malaysia.
Top 6
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Peruvian Singers of all time. This list of famous Peruvian Singers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Yma Sumac (1923 - 2008)
With an HPI of 70.30, Yma Sumac is the most famous Peruvian Singer. Her biography has been translated into 44 different languages on wikipedia.
Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chávarri del Castillo (born Zoila Emperatriz Chávarri Castillo; September 13, 1922 – November 1, 2008), known as Yma Sumac (or Imma Sumack), was a Peruvian-born American-naturalised vocalist, composer, producer, actress and model. She won a Guinness World Record for the Greatest Range of Musical Value in 1956. "Ima sumaq" means "how beautiful" in Quechua. She has also been called Queen of Exotica and is considered a pioneer of world music. Her debut album, Voice of the Xtabay (1950), peaked at number one in the Billboard 200, selling a million copies in the United States, and its single, "Virgin of the Sun God (Taita Inty)", reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming an international success in the 1950s. Albums like Legend of the Sun Virgin (1952), Fuego del Ande (1959) and Mambo! (1955), were other successes. In 1951, Sumac became the first Latin American female singer to debut on Broadway. In "Chuncho (The Forest Creatures)" (1953), she developed her own technical singing, named "double voice" or "triple coloratura". During the same period, she performed in Carnegie Hall and Lewisohn Stadium. In 1960 she became the first Latin American woman to get a phonograph record star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Afterwards she toured the Soviet Union, selling more than 20 million tickets. According to Variety in 1974, Sumac had more than 3,000 concerts "covering the entire globe", breaking any previous records by a performer. Fashion magazine V listed her as one of the 9 international fashion icons of all time in 2010. She has sold over 40 million records, which makes her the best-selling Peruvian singer in history.
2. Susana Baca (b. 1944)
With an HPI of 55.90, Susana Baca is the 2nd most famous Peruvian Singer. Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Susana Esther Baca de la Colina (Spanish pronunciation: [suˈsana ˈβaka]; born 24 May 1944 in Chorrillos, Lima Province, Peru) is a prominent Peruvian singer-songwriter, school teacher, folklorist, ethnomusicologist and three-time Latin Grammy Award winner. She has been a key figure in the revival of Afro-Peruvian music. In July 2011, she was named Peru's Minister of Culture in the Ollanta Humala government, becoming the second Afro-Peruvian cabinet minister in the history of independent Peru. In November 2011, Baca was elected to the Organization of American States (OAS) as the President of the Commission of Culture for the period 2011–13.
3. Chabuca Granda (1920 - 1983)
With an HPI of 55.81, Chabuca Granda is the 3rd most famous Peruvian Singer. Her biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
María Isabel Granda Larco (3 September 1920 – 8 March 1983), better known as Chabuca Granda, was a Peruvian singer and composer. She created and interpreted a vast number of Criollo waltzes with Afro-Peruvian rhythms. Granda's "La flor de la canela", "José Antonio", "El puente de los suspiros", and "Fina estampa" helped the singer receive international recognition. She has influenced various Peruvian artists such as Susana Baca, Eva Ayllón, Gian Marco and Juan Diego Flórez. In 2017, her work was declared a Cultural Heritage of the Nation and in 2019, the Peruvian government posthumously awarded her the highest national honor, the Order of the Sun.
4. Juan Diego Flórez (b. 1973)
With an HPI of 55.79, Juan Diego Flórez is the 4th most famous Peruvian Singer. His biography has been translated into 29 different languages.
Juan Diego Flórez (born Juan Diego Flórez Salom, January 13, 1973) is a Peruvian operatic tenor, particularly known for his roles in bel canto operas. On June 4, 2007, he received his country's highest decoration, the Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Sun of Peru.
5. Betty Missiego (b. 1938)
With an HPI of 53.11, Betty Missiego is the 5th most famous Peruvian Singer. Her biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Beatriz Teresa Missiego Campos (born 16 January 1938 in Lima, Peru) better known as Betty Missiego (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈbeti miˈsjeɣo]) is a Peruvian singer, who has held dual Spanish citizenship since 1972 and lives in Spain. She represented Peru at the OTI Festival 1972 with the song "Recuerdos de un adiós" placing ninth and she represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 with "Su canción" placing second.
6. Immortal Technique (b. 1978)
With an HPI of 39.50, Immortal Technique is the 6th most famous Peruvian Singer. His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.
Felipe Andres Coronel (born February 19, 1978), better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper and activist. His lyrics are largely commentary on issues such as politics, religion, institutional racism, and government conspiracies. Immortal Technique seeks to retain control over his production, and has stated in his music that record companies, not artists themselves, profit the most from mass production and marketing of music. He claimed in an interview to have sold close to a combined total of 200,000 copies of his first three official releases.
People
Pantheon has 6 people classified as Peruvian singers born between 1920 and 1978. Of these 6, 4 (66.67%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Peruvian singers include Susana Baca, Juan Diego Flórez, and Betty Missiego. The most famous deceased Peruvian singers include Yma Sumac, and Chabuca Granda. As of April 2024, 2 new Peruvian singers have been added to Pantheon including Susana Baca, and Chabuca Granda.
Living Peruvian Singers
Go to all Rankings
Susana Baca
1944 - Present
HPI: 55.90
Juan Diego Flórez
1973 - Present
HPI: 55.79
Betty Missiego
1938 - Present
HPI: 53.11
Immortal Technique
1978 - Present
HPI: 39.50
