Canadian pianist sets world record with 27-hour concert



PARIS - Canadian musician Gonzales broke the world record on Monday for the longest-ever solo concert after he succeeded in playing the piano for a grueling 27 hours 3 minutes and 44 seconds.
The 37-year-old musician stole the title from Guinness record-holder Prasanna Gudi of India who made history by playing raga for 26 hours and 12 minutes in December.



Canadian pianist sets world record with 27-hour concert
Gonzales took the stage at midnight on Sunday at a small theatre in Paris' trendy Montmartre, seated at his upright piano next to a large digital clock tracking his marathon performance.
For the near-continuous concert, Gonzales chose 300 musical pieces from Gershwin's "Summertime" to Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time", Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" and "Eye of the Tiger" from the film Rocky III.
Under Guinness rules, he was allowed a 15-minute break after each three-hour set and a 30-second pause in between songs.
There were also a few costume changes during the performance, from jeans and a t-shirt to blue-and-white striped pyjamas.
Born Jason Beck in Montreal, Gonzales lives in Paris and co-produced Feist's 2007 hit album "The Reminder". His sixth album "Soft Power" was released last year.
Fans were able to follow his feat on www.gonzpiration.com.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, May 19th 2009
AFP
           


New comment:
Twitter

News | Politics | Features | Arts | Entertainment | Society | Sport



At a glance