Yma Sumac Tribute with Skip Heller’s Voodoo 5 (Tickets Include 2 Drinks)

Skip Heller’s Voodoo 5 celebrates legendary vocalist Yma Sumac with a hypnotic night of exotica, Latin rhythms and Hollywood glamour.

Yma Sumac Tribute with Skip Heller’s Voodoo 5

An intoxicating night of exotica celebrating one of the most extraordinary voices of the 20th century.

Enter the exotic world of Yma Sumac as Skip Heller’s Voodoo 5 pays tribute to the legendary Peruvian vocalist whose extraordinary range, theatrical performances and unmistakable sound helped define the golden age of exotica.

This isn’t simply a tribute from afar. Skip Heller actually toured and performed with Yma Sumac, giving this evening a direct connection to the artist and music being celebrated. Heller later built a career as a guitarist, composer, arranger, producer and bandleader whose work has crossed jazz, roots music, exotica, Latin music and film and television.

For this special performance, Heller brings Voodoo 5 and its intoxicating blend of exotica, Latin rhythms and classic Hollywood film-score drama to Spirit Animal. Led by Heller alongside vocalist Lena Marie Cardinale, the ensemble takes the lush sounds of midcentury exotica and gives them a vibrant, contemporary pulse.

Cardinale brings her own remarkable background to the evening. A former Los Angeles Opera performer who later toured with El Vez, she and Heller first connected while performing at a 100th-birthday tribute to Yma Sumac.

Expect soaring vocals, hypnotic percussion, Latin rhythms, cinematic arrangements and the wonderfully strange glamour that made Sumac an international phenomenon.

Exotic. Cinematic. Seductive. Completely unlike an ordinary night of live music.

✨ What to Expect

A musical tribute to the legendary Yma Sumac

Skip Heller’s personal connection to Sumac and her music

Vocals by Lena Marie Cardinale

Exotica, Latin rhythms and cinematic arrangements

The full sound of Skip Heller’s Voodoo 5

An intimate cocktail-club setting

🥂 Your Ticket Includes

Admission to the show

Two cocktails*

About Skip Heller’s Voodoo 5

Led by guitarist, composer and arranger Skip Heller and vocalist Lena Marie Cardinale, Voodoo 5 has developed its own modern take on exotica, combining Latin rhythms, steel guitar, percussion, vibraphone, flute and the drama of classic Hollywood scoring.

Heller’s career has included work with artists ranging from Yma Sumac and Bootsy Collins to NRBQ, Todd Rundgren, Joe Bataan and Wanda Jackson, along with music for television and film. He toured with Sumac in the 1990s and has remained closely connected to the musical world of exotica throughout his career.

Voodoo 5 has appeared at major exotica and tiki events including Tiki Oasis and Tiki Caliente, while also performing in jazz rooms and clubs throughout the West Coast.

Venue

Spirit Animal, located inside Hotel Zoso, is Take Five’s intimate live entertainment and cocktail venue—formerly Pretty Faces Nightclub and Sirocco—completely reimagined for cabaret, music and nightlife.

Featuring state-of-the-art sound and lighting, comfortable table seating, a full bar and a non-smoking environment, Spirit Animal pairs live entertainment with the atmosphere of a classic cocktail club.

Event Details

Saturday, November 14

ALL AGES

Doors open at 6 PM | Show starts at 7 PM

Tickets include two cocktails.*

Additional beverages are available for purchase.

Paid valet parking is available, plus free street parking nearby.

Our shows frequently sell out, so we recommend securing your seats early. If seats are not selected at checkout, the best available seating will be assigned. To choose your own seats, please select BUY ON MAP—any seats shown in color are available; grey seats have already been purchased.

Tickets are non-refundable.

*Included cocktails are limited to select well drinks or house wine.