How Yma Sumac Sang a Duet With Herself on the Radio

Can you sing a duet with yourself? Sure — you can mumble or mutter under your breath. But singing a true duet with yourself? That sounds impossible. Not just any duet — one people would actually enjoy listening to.

Once, Peruvian singer Yma Sumac did just that on the radio. She pulled it off using tape-recording techniques.

She was recorded twice on separate tape reels, and one recording was layered over the other. When the combined tape was played back, it sounded like a duet — sung entirely by one person!