August 10th 2024.
Bhubaneswar was buzzing with excitement as renowned music composer and three-time Grammy winner, Ricky Kej, joined forces with Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) to achieve a remarkable feat. Together, they set a new Guinness World Record for the "Largest Singing Lesson" of the Indian national anthem. This achievement was a result of Kej's passion for creating extraordinary musical experiences, which he had previously showcased at the Abbey Road Studios in London in 2023 with the largest-ever Symphony Orchestra of the Indian National Anthem.
But this time, Kej took his celebration to the next level by organizing an event with around 14,000 tribal students from KISS. During a joint press conference with Dr. Achyuta Samanta, the founder of KIIT and KISS, Kej announced that the recording of this event would be released on August 14 at 5pm across all streaming platforms, YouTube, and his social media accounts. The recording featured performances by renowned musicians such as Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and Rakesh Chaurasia on the Bansuri, Rahul Sharma on the Santoor, Amaan and Ayaan on the Sarod, Sheik Mahaboob Subhani and Kaleeshabi Mahaboob on the Nadaswaram, Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh on the Veena, and Giridhar Udupa on the Carnatic percussion.
Kej humbly shared that he did not receive any support from anyone else but expressed his gratitude towards Samanta and KISS, an organization that supports 80,000 indigenous children. This event, which took place in July, not only achieved a new Guinness World Record for the "Largest Singing Lesson," beating the previous record held by Sweet Adelines International in Nashville, USA, but it also showcased the unity and diversity of India. The video of this event featured 14,000 children forming a map of India and the word 'Bharat' in both Hindi and English, symbolizing the rich cultural heritage and limitless potential of India's youth.
When asked about the usage of this recording, Kej stated that it would be available completely royalty-free for any purpose as long as the content remains unedited and unadulterated to ensure the utmost respect for the Indian National Anthem. He also mentioned that individual versions of the recording, featuring each maestro performing the anthem from beginning to end, would be released after August 15. Kej also collaborated with renowned VR filmmaker Sairam Sagiraju and developers Krishnaprasad Jagadish and Raksha Rao to create a Virtual Reality version of this project.
The new record was officially confirmed by Guinness World Records Official adjudicator Rishi Nath, who exclaimed, "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." This remarkable achievement not only put Bhubaneswar and KISS on the global map but also showcased the power of music and the impact it can have on bringing people together.
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