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  • 1 year ago

A 27-year-old San Fernando pan soloist is currently attempting to set a Guinness World Record for the longest marathon playing on the steelpan.

There is no record for this particular feat, but Joshua Regrello has set out to hit 30 hours of continuous play, which began early this morning.

He is now pass the 12 hour mark.

Our reporter Cindy Raghubar-Teekersingh was in San Fernando before he began on Friday and spoke with Regrello about his strategy and motivation behind this attempt.
Transcript
00:00So my name is Joshua Regrello, they call me the Pan Man and we are here to set a world
00:04record for the longest marathon playing steel pan, which has never been done before.
00:09At 27 years old, Joshua Regrello has been playing pan most of his life.
00:15In recent years, he began hosting pan concerts around carnival time and travelling more and
00:20more internationally to perform at events as a pan soloist.
00:25He says his love for TNT's national instrument began as a young child and as he grew, so
00:31did his passion for the steel pan.
00:34Attempting to set a Guinness World Record for longest marathon playing the steel pan,
00:39he says, is something, in a way, he has been preparing for his whole life.
00:45In attempting this record, he tells us, he wants to showcase what is possible with the
00:50steel pan.
00:51I really don't have a good idea of how amazing this instrument is and the things that could
00:56happen in it now because I think something like that should be known that the things
01:01that we can do and what is possible with this instrument is so amazing now.
01:06So I think this is just the start of showing what is possible with the instrument.
01:11It will be the first time a marathon record is being attempted on the steel pan.
01:16Somebody has a world record for the largest pan ever and it's from Trinidad, I believe.
01:22There's also a pan world record for largest ensemble playing pan.
01:26I think it's like 400 and someone from a European country has it.
01:29Yeah, those are both in the Guinness World Record.
01:31So this is the first longest marathon and the longest marathon is something that happens
01:35with a bunch of different instruments.
01:36And the person who has the longest marathon for playing piano actually did it in Trinidad
01:41and Tobago a couple of years ago.
01:42How long was that?
01:43That was like 108 hours.
01:46This is nothing.
01:47This should be easy work.
01:49Regrelo says the aim is 30 hours and while there is a whole team behind him, it will
01:54be he and God pushing through mentally to get it done.
01:59On Friday morning, the clock began around 6.28am.
02:03With 30 hours of consecutive play being attempted, many of you have questions like how or if
02:10you will be eating and drinking during that time.
02:12But there is one question that stands out above the rest, bathroom breaks.
02:17The theme for the Utah camp is praise and pampers.
02:20That's essentially what we're doing, praise and pampers, but the best way I can describe
02:26it to you, 30 hours, it's not a non-stop performance.
02:29I think the main question on everybody's mind is bathroom breaks.
02:32So it's not a non-stop performance.
02:34Every hour performed, you get a five minute break that you could then accumulate, but
02:38it's not part thereof.
02:39So it has to be an hour performed to then get a five minute break.
02:42So I think throughout this and how much you actually play, you get somewhere between two
02:47to two and a half hours of break.
02:49According to Guinness guidelines, there has to be independent witnesses, video and photographic
02:55proof of Regrelo's attempt.
02:57On Friday, representatives from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, Fire Service and
03:03Ministry of Tourism were among those present.
03:06While it is being streamed live on Regrelo's social media platforms, members of the public
03:12are invited to support in person at WAC Radio 90.1 FM on Coffee Street, San Fernando, if
03:19they can.
03:20If it's coming up before, they just show up with real vibes.
03:22Just run in here, scream, you know what I'm saying?
03:23That's the kind of energy we need.
03:24We also need you here ideally between, you see, 11pm to about 5am.
03:29That is really the time we need all the energy.
03:32We need moral support.
03:33We need every type of support.
03:35That's what we need.
03:36I think the entire nation should just be in prayer for me.
03:38Regrelo says the rules state that songs have to be longer than two minutes, with up to
03:4430 seconds between each song, and songs cannot be repeated within a four-hour period.
03:50He tells TV6 he has a long playlist with 11 genres of music, starting with gospel, and
03:57includes soca, calypso, chutney, Bollywood, reggae and international music.
04:03He plans to loop.
04:04Over the 30 hours, instrumentalists, artists, performances and surprise host interactions
04:11with the live stream and in-person crowds will take place.
04:15On Friday, Regrelo's mother expressed how proud and supportive she is of his ambitions.
04:21People have big dreams.
04:23Everybody wants to do something fancy, do something great.
04:27But to have a dream and to be able to say, yes, I am courageous enough just to try, just
04:33to try, I think that is the most important thing.
04:36And I think young people have to understand that they have so many opportunities out there
04:41for them, that what they can do is try something.
04:44Try something that's positive and make it work for you.
04:48If all goes according to plan, Regrelo is expected to set the Guinness World Record
04:54for longest marathon playing the steel pan by 12.30 p.m. on Saturday, December 28, 2024.
05:03Sindhi Raghuba Tika Singh, TV6 News.
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