GUWAHATI: – They have done it before. They are doing it again. But unlike last time when they scripted the world record with the largest drum ensemble, this time though, there will be a visible threat percept on the anvil coming all the way from London when around 2000-odd guitarists would be strumming its way towards setting another world record by assembling in the largest guitar contingent ever. For, within a week’s time, guitarists under Guitar Trade Fair in London will vie to outmaneuver it again.
On October 26, when a band of more than 2,000 guitarists will perform a record-breaking strumming session at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong to outnumber the current Guinness Book of World Records’ guitar ensemble of 1,721, guitarists from across the globe, especially London, will keep a close eye on it.
The proposed guitar ensemble is scheduled to be the opening item at the 10-day long Autumn Festival beginning Oct 26 in Meghalaya capital Shillong under the aegis of Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum (MTDF).
“We are confident of breaking the existing record which is hold by USA but at the same time, we are also aware of the threat that is coming in the way of retaining the world record for longer time,” said M. Lansing, the Forum’s vice chairperson while talking to media persons here today.
“We want to keep this title for some time and so we have decided to aim for a larger number of participants for the ensemble. We are pinning hopes especially on Assam, which has musicians in almost every household apart from other northeastern States,” he opined.
“In Meghalaya too, almost every second or third person knows how to play the guitar and so assembling 2,000-odd guitarists for the event would not be problem but now we would need the help of other States as well to retain the title for longer time,” Lalsingh asserted.
“Another beyond 2,500 should be a safe number,” he believed.
It may be mentioned here that last year, during the annual Autumn Festival a band of about 7,951 drummers in Shillong had set a new world record for the largest drum ensemble by performing for more than five minutes in perfect rhythm.
“The idea behind such a show is to promote the region through various positive things. We would like the world to change its perception towards the region, which in spite of being smaller in size, can register its exploits in many ways,” he pointed out.
“Hope that the tunes from the guitar strings of this event manage to project the NE India in a positive way,” reiterated Lalsingh.
The guitarists would perform Bob Dylan’s classic number “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” for the record-breaking session.
“This is a very popular number with three chords and even a person with basic knowledge with the instrument can try a hand,” said Aiban S Mawkhroh, general secretary, MTDF.
When asked whether they have received any confirmation of any of the adjudicators from Guinness, Mawkhroh said, “ So far we have not received confirmation from any of the adjudicators from the Guinness but we are hopeful to get the confirmation within a day or two”
The guitar ensemble apart, the Autumn Festival would also host events like vintage car pageant, fashion parade, couple of grand concerts, traditional sports like archery, kite flying, fishing, besides local songs and dances.
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