Ghanaian media personality Afua Asantewaa Aduonum who has been granted permission by Guinness World Records (GWR) to undertake an ambitious singing marathon, aiming to break the existing record has surpassed the first day of her ambition.
The singathon, which will last between 117 to 120 hours, will see Mrs. Aduonum singing solely Ghanaian songs from the Highlife, Hiplife, and Gospel genres.
In her quest for the longest solo singathon, each song performed will be restricted to a maximum of two minutes, and repeating a song will only be allowed in accordance with GWR rules, following a four-hour break.
Mrs. Aduonum, a fervent advocate for women’s empowerment, is determined to break the current record set in 2012 by Indian Sunil Waghmare, which stands at 105 hours. The scheduled singing marathon, set to take place in December, has already garnered significant support from Ghanaians on social media.
While some skeptics doubt her ability to surpass the existing record, others believe that she has a good chance of succeeding, especially with widespread support from the Ghanaian community.
The singing marathon is scheduled to take place from December 24-27, 2023.
This record-breaking attempt follows GWR’s recent recognition of Nigerian chef Hilda Baci, also known as Hilda Effiong Bassey, for the longest marathon cooking session, which lasted 93 hours and 11 minutes back in June. However, Irish chef Alan Fisher recently surpassed this record, clocking in an astounding 119 hours and 57 minutes in November.
The renowned Guinness World Records book, released annually since 1955, showcases remarkable human achievements and extraordinary natural phenomena. Formerly known as “The Guinness Book of World Records” in earlier US editions, it changed its name in 1999.
The previous record holder, Sunil Waghmare, secured his place in GWR by singing for 105 hours in Nagpur, India, from March 3 to 7, 2012. He performed a variety of popular Indian songs during his remarkable feat.
In addition to staying awake for five days, Afua will need to adhere to GWR’s guidelines, which state that she must sing songs that are recognizable and performed to a reasonable standard throughout the attempt. Despite only having 24 hours of experience during a trial earlier this month, she remains determined to achieve her goal.
GWR also stipulates that “singing must be continuous” with only brief pauses of no more than 30 seconds allowed between songs. Each piece of music performed must last at least two minutes.
Accompaniment is optional for Afua, but if she chooses to have musicians, each musician can only play for a maximum of four hours before taking a break of at least four hours.
Furthermore, repetition of any piece of music within four hours is prohibited, and improvisation or jamming is not allowed according to GWR’s guidelines.
With preparations underway, Afua Asantewaa Aduonum is ready to captivate audiences and make her mark in the world of singing marathons, displaying the rich musicality of Ghana and her determination to break boundaries.
