Later, Yosef left Czechoslovakia and moved to New York City. He smuggled a tape of Yma into the US of Yma performing during live concerts in Czechoslovakia. Musically gifted, Yosef was proficient on the violin as well as the voice and when settled in Manhattan he made the decision to drop his medical studies and concentrate on music. Working at Schirmer's Music Store, he joined the ranks of thousands of other free-lance musicians in that city and tried to obtain work. Yosef was a protégé of Holly Woodlawn, the inveterate talent scout and female impersonator who had appeared in several Andy Warhol movies, who heard him vocalizing as he worked away painting a bathroom... Holly determined, then and there that he had uncovered a future star... (Michael's Thing 4/76)
Yosef's singing talent was specialized, however. He had an unusual voice of tremendous range, and a startling proficiency in mimicry and excelled in Yma Sumac imitations. He had always been a great admirer of the Peruvian singer and had assiduously studied her recordings for years. He had become amazingly adept at re-creating her particular tonal quality and resonances. Yosef idolized Yma so much that he changed the J of his first name to Y to further emulate the Peruvian diva. An eccentric, he often told people that it was him singing on the smuggled-in tape.
New York based Gerard Della Chapelle represented Yma around the time that Yosef was perfecting his Sumac imitation, and he got wind of this unusual talent. After his disastrous attempt to represent Yma failed, Gerard decided to undertake Yosef's representation. Realizing that Yosef needed suitable musical arrangements to highlight his gifts, he contacted Hernán Braña by phone, explaining that he had something very special for Hernán to hear. After playing a tape of one of Yosef's songs over the phone, Hernáán, who was completely baffled, asked, "When did Yma record that?" Gerard quickly explained and arranged for Hernán to meet with Yosef.
He really was amazing, remembers Hernán. He knew all her songs and could imitate her almost perfectly. I had never heard a woman - much less a man - who was able to do such a thing. The voice was strange. It had this long range and no perceptible break into the falsetto.
With Hernán's help, Yosef made a demo disc that was to be used for auditioning. Made around Labor Day of 1975, Hernán provided arrangements for the two songs chosen and hired the back-up musicians. Gerard, who was in charge of the entire project, must have thought Hernán was doing this out of love for the art since Hernán was never paid for his work. He also covered the costs of the musicians hired to record the demo as well.
The two songs recorded at the Abrahamson Studio on West 76th Street were Sooner or Later, Hernán's adaptation of a theme from Tchaikovsky's ballet, Swan Lake, and the Theme from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Both pieces were wordless vocalises in the Yma Sumac style and displayed Yosef's virtuosity in elaborate runs, jazz-scatting, high soprano staccati, and low, contra bass notes. The demo disc, which has survived Yosef, is as impressive as it is outré. Around this time Yma was re-introduced to Yosef but she had never heard any of his work so she ignored him.
After dropping Yma, Gerard began to concentrate on Yosef's career. On April 12, 1976, Gerard sent out a news release under the auspices of the American Copyright Society, announcing Yosef's booking on April 18th, for two sets at the See-Saw Club at Lexington Avenue and 81st Street (now defunct). The release had typical biographical magnification and an attempt to bind the names Synovec and Sumac together. "The range of his voice exceeds five octaves without the slightest falsetto, but goes without any effort throughout the entire range. This is the most extraordinary and unique vocal range existing throughout the world, without excepting the famous range of the lovely Inca singer, Yma Sumac."
Unfortunately, Gerard's power in important musical circles was as limited as his managerial abilities and there was little he was able to do for Yosef. During 1976, Yosef did, however, make a few appearances in small New York cabarets.
Because of the nature of his gifts and the way they were exhibited, Yosef's popularity was confined to the Gay subculture of New York City. It was hoped that as he grew and matured as an artist and expanded his repertoire, he would be more widely accepted. The few reviews he received applauded his voice and technique. The only fault found was his rudimentary stage demeanor.
Gerard Della Chapelle agreed to play a tape for me from June 16, 1976, made during one of Yosef's sets at the Tijuana Cat Club. Performing with piano, flute and percussion, Yosef offered an eclectic program that leaned heavily on Sumacian material, including "Ataypura" (High Andes) - in faultless mimicry, "Sooner or Later", the tenor aria from Bizet's opera, "Pecheurs des Perles", "Send in the Clowns", "Invisible Love" (a Sumac-like obstacle course), "Snake" (the same as Yma's Calls from the Andes), and "Chunchu!" (Jungle Creatures) (patterned after Yma's performances in Chezchoslovakia). Listening to the tape was an errie and in some ways unsettling experience, so perfect was his imitation of the Sumac voice and technique. Yosef's gift was real. With uncanny clarity he reproduced similar mouth, head and chest resonances that Yma used, as well as her vocal effects, including high, pecked-at staccati, the "growl" and amazingly, even the double-voiced trill found at the climax of Chuncho!
Unwittingly, Hernán's artistic assistance and musical contributions to Yosef's club acts signaled a connection for many between Yma's "Incan" songs and Hernán's contributions to her music during her heyday. Because of the similarity between many of Yma's most famous pieces and the music used by Synovec for his act, the magnitude of Hernán's importance to Moisés [Vivanco] and the Sumac troupe during the 1950s became apparent. A similarity that was too obvious to be coincidental, proving that much of Yma's most popular numbers had actually been penned by Hernán, not Moisés.
Despite the specialty flavor of Yosef's act, because of his obvious gift and his dedication, it was hoped he would mature into a successful and distinctly unusual, entertainer. Unfortunately, Yosef was killed in the tragic fire that destroyed the Everad Baths in Manhattan, on May 27, 1977.