A former theatre performer who had a laryngectomy has sung a duet with her sister using an artificial talkbox while each of them was in a separate location, connected by the Vodafone 5G network.
A smart Electrospit tubeless talkbox programmed with Martine McCutcheon’s vocal samples was connected to the Vodafone 5G. The vocal sample was transmitted from a recording studio, over 5G into the Electrospit which allowed Tanja Bage (above) to shape Martine’s sounds into the Christmas carol Silent Night with no delay in the vocal sample reaching the singers, so they performed in perfect unison.
Mother-of-two and rained actress and singer Tanja Bage had her voice box removed following her throat cancer diagnosis in 2020. She speaks through a speech valve. Lockdown prevented her from being with her sister Mia during treatment.
“The hardest thing about this (having my voice box removed) was the loss of my singing voice. I never thought I’d get to perform again in this way.”, she said.
Around 550 laryngectomy operations take place in the UK each year. Nearly 8,000 people have had their voice boxes removed. There are e approximately 12,000 new cases of head and neck annually.
Dr Thomas Moors, an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor said: “Vodafone is the first telecom company we know invested in helping people challenged on multiple levels in their communication. The power of 5G means we can connect and communicate with people like we never thought possible”.
The Electrospit is a wearable tubeless talkbox designed by producer Bosco Kante. As a lightweight and portable instrument worn around the neck. Artists to have used the Electrospit include Stevie Wonder, David Guetta, and Cory Henry; it has featured on hit songs by Bruno Mars, and Dua Lipa.