Trinidadian musician Joshua Regrello achieved a new milestone on Saturday afternoon by setting the Guinness World Record for the longest steelpan-playing marathon, after an impressive 31 hours of continuous performance on the national instrument.
The 27-year-old reached the 30-hour mark around 12:30 p.m., but decided to continue for an additional hour, much to the excitement of thousands of viewers who tuned in on YouTube and Facebook to cheer him on.
“This is not just a victory for myself, it’s a victory for everybody who was a part of this – from planning to being here,” Regrello said in a brief statement to friends, family, officials, and ministers who gathered in the studio of WACK 90.1FM in San Fernando, where he made history.
Regrello expressed his gratitude to the various teams who supported him during the record attempt, including members of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, the Fire Service, and timekeepers from the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. These teams were tasked with witnessing the event in four-hour shifts to ensure Guinness World Record verification.
“I want to pay special notice to these witnesses… These are really objective people who had to endure hours of pan,” Regrello said. “The one thing we need to make this validated by Guinness is independent witnesses. We have to submit evidence, but we could not do that without them.”
A historic journey
Regrello, who previously made headlines as the first person to perform steelpan on the Great Wall of China, began his record attempt at 6:30 a.m. on Friday. He kicked off his marathon by performing Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up.”
Throughout the 31-hour period, several artists joined Regrello, including singers and instrumentalists, providing entertainment and support. While he was allowed a five-minute break every hour, Regrello only took a half-hour break in total, often playing with one hand while grabbing a quick bite or drink.
As the marathon came to a close, Regrello asked the studio audience to stand as he played the national anthem of Trinidad and Tobago, marking the triumphant end of his historic performance.
