Child sets world record with 24-hr musical feat

Insync

oi-Staff

By Staff

Friday, March 28, 2008, 14:17

Being able to play a musical instrument for 24 hours continuously may help 12-year-old boy Manu to enter the Guinness Book of World Records. Manu, who lives in Kozhikode district performed on Jaltarang at the Kozhikode Town Hall for 24 hours by breaking the earlier record of 16 hours of non-stop play by a boy Rama Krishna from Andhra Pradesh.

Jaltarang literally means 'waves in water'. But the instrument conveys the motion of sound created or modified by water. It is one of the most prominent and ancient among musical instruments. A student of Government Ganpat Boys High School, Chalappuram, Manu enthralled the audience with his performance, which started on Monday morning (24 March) at 8 and finished the next day on 25th March at 8 am.

The performance was inaugurated by renowned Gyanpeeth award winner, M T Vasudevan Nair of Kerala along with city Mayor M. Bashkaran, Manu's teacher and parents. Manu played the Jaltarang continuously for 24 hours with 2 breaks of 10 minutes each after every 8 hours. He played Hamsadhwani Raag on the Jaltarang and showed equal felicity in Carnatic, Hindustani and Western music streams during the event.

As many as 120 artists including children of his age group accompanied him on the violin, the tabla (Indian percussion instrument) and other musical instruments to make the show vibrant. Manu has been practicing Jaltarang for the past four years under the guidance of his mentor Kozhikode Radhakrishnan. He became interested in the instrument after he saw his teacher playing Jaltarang in his house, where he stayed back after his performance.

"I am really delighted at achieving this record. I practice daily from 8 am in the morning to 5:30 in the evening and I can do it for some more time. I really liked to play the rhythm of water symphony. I can even play the tabla with ease. It just happened that I saw my master practicing it one day, and decided to practice," said Manu while talking to media persons after his performance.

According to Manu, it was his grandfather who actually inspired him to attempt this feat after seeing his rigorous practice for a minimum five hours daily on the Jaltarang and tabla. The recorded video footage and other necessary documents will soon be sent to the Guinness Book of World Record authorities for approval.