Longest singing marathon by multiple singers
SiliconAndhra is an organization that promotes the traditions and culture of the state of Andhra Pradesh, both within India and in the United States. This was my first trip to India and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the record attempt was a wonderful introduction to the culture of this beautiful area of the country.
For the attempt, 3,588 singers formed 95 groups, and performed 1,091 songs in total. Each piece of music was based on the works of the Indian poet Annamacharya Tallapaka, who wrote over 32,000 poems in the fifteenth century. Born on May 5, 1408, the record attempt commemorated Annamacharya’s 602nd birthday. The poems have amazingly survived for over 600 years. The original music is not known, as it was not notated, but for the event the poems were set to Indian classical music.
My first glimpse of the auditorium was a little overwhelming, as there was so much to take in, but I immediately noticed how beautiful everything was. The music was striking and unlike anything I had ever heard in person before. The singers kept perfect time, as each group had learned their assigned songs from a CD sent to them before the attempt. The colors of the singers’ traditional dress were vibrant, and the overall combination was stunning.
The execution of the event was flawless. According to Guinness World Records guidelines, there can be a pause of no more than 30 seconds between songs. Each participating group sang for approximately one hour. The stage was divided into two halves, so while one group sang, the upcoming group prepared themselves. As soon as the first group was finished, the next group was ready to go and never exceeded the allotted thirty seconds.
The organizers of the event were completely devoted to making it a success. They worked tirelessly and many of them went with almost no sleep for the duration of the attempt. They kept an extremely detailed logbook listing the exact times (down to the 100th of a second) of when each group started and ended, and the next group began. They also kept a list of each song performed, and the exact timing of each. The event was videotaped in its entirety.
After the clock reached 101 hours and the last group finished, I made the announcement that I would now review all of the documentation and would be back in approximately an hour to announce if a new record had been set. Everything checked out just fine, and I was happy to confirm a new Guinness World Records achievement!
As an aside, I feel like I must mention the amazing kindness and generosity that my hosts showed me. Everyone I met was so warm, and went out of their way to show me the culture of Andhra Pradesh and India. Besides my official duties at the record attempt, I was taken on a tour of a farm and bird sanctuary, was invited to a lunch at one of the organizer’s homes, and taken shopping for a traditional Indian sari! It was the best introduction to Indian culture I could have hoped for, and I was touched and honored to be accepted in such a warm and welcoming manner.
This was a truly inspiring event, and I’m happy to say that in addition to setting a new Guinness World Records achievement, the beauty and elegance of the traditions of Andhra Pradesh were celebrated and preserved.
email: phanimadhavkasturi@gmail.com
Website: http://www.siliconandhra.org/
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