Bhubaneswar: Eminent music composer and 3X Grammy winner Ricky Kej, in collaboration with Odisha’s Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), has set a new Guinness World Record for the “Largest Singing Lesson” of the Indian national anthem.
After conducting the largest-ever Symphony Orchestra (100-piece Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, UK) of the Indian National Anthem at Abbey Road Studios, London, in 2023, Kej has elevated the celebration by organising a record-breaking event with around 14,000 tribal students from KISS.
At a joint press conference with Dr. Achyuta Samanta, founder of KIIT and KISS, Kej announced that the recording would be released at 5pm on August 14 across all streaming platforms, YouTube, and his social media accounts.
The recording includes performances by notable musicians such as Bansuri maestros Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and Rakesh Chaurasia, Santoor exponent Rahul Sharma, Sarod wizards Amaan and Ayaan, Nadaswaram maestros Sheik Mahaboob Subhani and Kaleeshabi Mahaboob, Veena maestro Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh, and Carnatic percussionist Giridhar Udupa.
Kej said he did not receive support from anyone but acknowledged the help of Samanta and KISS, which supports 80,000 indigenous children (40,000 current students and 40,000 alumni).
This extraordinary event shoot in the month of July has set a new Guinness World Record for the “Largest Singing Lesson”, previously held by Sweet Adelines International, Nashville, USA, with 6,651 participants.
The video features 14,000 children forming a map of India and the word ‘Bharat’ in Hindi and English. The achievement symbolises the unity and diversity of India, showcasing the nation’s rich cultural heritage and the limitless potential of its youth, he claimed.
Replying a question, Kej said the entire recording will be made available completely royalty-free for any purpose provided the content is completely unedited and unadulterated to ensure that there is no disrespect to the Indian National Anthem.
“Individual versions of this recording featuring each maestro performing the anthem from beginning to end will be released after August 15”, Kej said.
Kej has collaborated with renowned VR filmmaker Sairam Sagiraju and developers Krishnaprasad Jagadish and Raksha Rao to create a Virtual Reality version of this project.
Guinness World Records Official adjudicator Rishi Nath confirmed the new record, stating, “What we achieved here in Bhubaneswar was a phenomenal 13,944 participants in ‘The Largest Singing Lesson’. Congratulations to Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences, Ricky Kej, and Professor Samanta.”
PTI
