Indian guitarists set to break world record

More than 1,700 guitarists in India's remote northeast played a Bob Dylan classic on Friday in an effort destined to break a world record for the largest ever guitar ensemble.

The guitarists of all ages and skills performed Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" in the hill state of Meghalaya to start a month-long Autumn Festival in state capital Shillong.

The world record will be declared after officials nominated by the Guinness World Records submit their report, Robert G. Lyngdoh, chairman of the local tourism development forum told the gathering, which included a four-year-old guitarist.

"Meghalaya has once again broken a world record with the 1,730-strong guitar ensemble which played for a continuous five minutes in perfect rhythm," said Lyngdoh.

The current Guinness record -- 1,683 guitarists -- for the largest ensemble performance, of Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water," was set on June 3, 2007 at Kansas city in the United States.

The annual Indian festival, aimed at promoting Meghalaya and seven northeast sister states, created a new world record last year for the largest drum ensemble, comprising 7,951 people.

worlds largest poster in $1m charity programme launches by sorouh

The poster which is 20,000 square meters in size and measures 200 by 100 metres has been certified by the Guinness Book of World Records.

At the press conference held today at the Hyatt Regency Hotel which overlooks the poster, Sorouh announced the record along with the launch of its Sorouh Faces campaign.
Through this initiative, Sorouh launched a corporate citizenship campaign that will, in the coming months, collect one million faces to place on the poster. For every photo gathered, Sorouh will donate $1 to the UAE Red Crescent, totaling a donation of $1m.

To gather the 1 million photos, Sorouh has launched a dedicated website, http://www.sorouhfaces.com/, where anyone can upload their pictures at no cost.

'Innovation, creativity and responsibility to society are inherent to Sorouh's business ethics and corporate culture. Today, in addition to unveiling a world first with a creative approach, we are also proclaiming our adherence to supporting the welfare of others who are not always fortunate enough to have a roof over their heads and who strive for a better life,' said Mr. Masood Al Awar, Special Advisor to the Chairman of Sorouh and Executive Director Sales and Marketing
After calling upon all present to donate their pictures for this noble cause, Mr. Al Awar explained how the donation would be used.

'Sorouh is committed to bringing communities together in perfect balance. Our $1m donation will help fund a new Red Crescent programme which will repair and reconstruct the homes of the underprivileged, here in the UAE, who cannot afford to carry out this essential work themselves. This programme is close to our hearts as housing is one of our main areas of activity and I am pleased that Sorouh can be a founding donor,' continued Mr. Al Awar.

The poster site is another first for the UAE. Clearly visible on the flight path to Dubai International Airport, the poster is part of a new advertising medium which was launched in Dubai and will be followed by further sites around the world in the coming months. The World Record certification was announced by Ms. Kaoru Ishikawa on behalf of the Guinness Book of World Records.

See website http://www.sorouhfaces.com/ for World Largest Poster