Sing-a-thon: Afua Asantewaa disqualified

Guinness World Records has officially declared that Afua Asantewaa's attempt to establish the record for the longest individual singing marathon was not successful.

In a tweet on Friday, February 23, 2024, sighted by GhanaWeb, the official response read: “Unfortunately Afua's Guinness World Records attempt for the longest singing marathon was not successful, but we hope that she will make another attempt soon. We've seen how inspirational it has been for her fans.”

On December 24, Asantewaa embarked on a mission to break the Guinness World Record for the longest singing marathon. She was the toast of December in GH as she sang for 126 hours and 52 minutes. She initially planned to end on 27th December; however, after consultation with her team, she decided to sing continuously for five days.

The event which took place at the Akwaaba Village in Accra, near the Kotoka International Airport, saw thousands in attendance in their bid to support her and be part of history.

A tall list of showbiz personalities including Nana Ama McBrown, Kwabena Kwabena, Efya, Sista Afia, Afronitaa, Delay, Cina Soul, Clemento Suarez, Akuapem Poloo, Lawyer Nti, Piesie Esther and OB Amponsah also thronged the venue demonstrating their collective support for the event.

The commentaries were overwhelmingly positive, with people consistently applauding and encouraging her to forge ahead in her impressive endeavor.

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Asantewaa pays $750 to expedite action

Earlier this month, Afua Asantewaa, an entrepreneur and media personality, revealed that she had paid $750 to officials to quicken her review. She told JoyNews that two weeks after attempting the record, she opted to expedite her review process, leading her to pay the specified amount.

“I have an account with them [GWR] so right after the record attempt, they requested for our files because we were putting everything together. They reached out to us and requested for our videos. I think after two weeks of waiting, we decided to go in for a priority review.

“The normal review takes not less or more than twelve weeks but if you want it quick you pay an amount of money and they review your file within five working days and that is what we paid for.

“Officially, it is $650 but if you are going to pay into an account, you have to pay some transaction fees. So totally we paid around $750,” she said.

Guinness World Records refunds Asantewaa's money to her

In the Friday tweet which officially announced Asantewaa's disqualification, Guinness World Records said the amount has been refunded.

"The evidence check had already begun before Afua requested priority service, so we refunded her payment earlier this month. We wish Afua the best of luck with any future record attempts," the tweet said.

Who holds the record?

According to the official report from Guinness World Records, the longest singing marathon by an individual was accomplished by Sunil Waghmare from India. This remarkable feat lasted for an impressive 105 hours and took place in Nagpur, India, from March 3 to March 7, 2012.

The record-breaking attempt commenced at 11:06 am on March 3, featuring a diverse selection of popular Indian songs. Notably, each song sung during the marathon was unique and not repeated within 4 hours. The event concluded on the evening of March 7, culminating in a celebratory sing-along with Mr. Waghmare and his supporters.

Unfortunately Afua's Guinness World Records attempt for the longest singing marathon was not successful, but we hope that she will make another attempt soon. We've seen how inspirational it has been for her fans. The evidence check had already begun before Afua requested priority…

— Guinness World Records (@GWR) February 23, 2024

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