Fourteen thousand tribal students of the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) teamed up with Grammy winner Ricky Kej to create a monumental version of the Indian national anthem, setting a new Guinness world record.
Ricky Kej, in collaboration with KISS founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta, has recorded a choir of 14,000 tribal children from Odisha, who performed together in one location at KISS in Bhubaneswar.
Ricky Kej has assembled an extraordinary ensemble of Indian living legends and 14,00 KISS students, creating a spectacular musical experience of the Indian National Anthem.
Addressing a joint press conference with Dr. Achyuta Samanta on Saturday, Ricky Kej said, “This extraordinary event 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 also features the 14,000 children forming a human map of India and the word ‘Bharat’ in Hindi and English.
Ricky said, “The achievement symbolises the unity and diversity of India, showcasing the nation’s rich cultural heritage and the limitless potential of its youth. The recording is a harmonious blend of traditional and contemporary elements, representing the essence of a new Bharat. It serves as a beacon of inspiration, celebrating the nation’s journey and its bright future. An intergenerational masterpiece.”
Ricky added, “The recording features performances by illustrious maestros such as Bansuri Maestro, Padma Vibhushan winner Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Bansuri Maestro, Grammy winner Rakesh Chaurasia, Santoor maestro Rahul Sharma, Sarod maestros Amaan and Ayaan, Nadaswaram maestros, Padma Shri winners Sheik Mahaboob Subhani and Kaleeshabi Mahaboob, Veena Maestro Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh and Virtuoso Carnatic percussionist Giridhar Udupa.”
The recording will be released on August 14 at 5pm across all streaming platforms, Youtube and Rickey Kej’s social media accounts.
Ricky has collaborated with renowned VR filmmaker Sairam Sagiraju and developers Krishnaprasad Jagadish and Raksha Rao to create a Virtual Reality version of this project. This innovative rendition will be exclusively available on Apple’s Vision Pro through the Chaarana app.
