Afua Asantewaa gained massive attention in December 2024 when she embarked on her second attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest singing marathon by an individual.
The existing record, set by Indian singer Sunil Waghmare in 2012, stood at 105 hours.
Afua Asantewaa’s second attempt began on December 21, 2024, at Heroes’ Park in Kumasi, Ghana, and ended on December 26, 2024 and she reportedly sang for 121 hours and 39 minutes.
However, despite the duration and the excitement surrounding the feat, Guinness World Records has disqualified her attempt.
The decision from GWR hinged on a breach of the organisation’s guidelines regarding rest breaks during endurance activities.
According to GWR rules, participants are allowed a five-minute rest for every hour of continuous performance.
These breaks can be accumulated over time, but any rest taken must not exceed the time accrued.
This means that if a performer sings for four hours straight, they are permitted a 20-minute rest break.
In reviewing the evidence submitted after Afua’s performance, GWR identified specific instances where these guidelines were not followed.
One of such instances occurred at 23:25 during what was logged as sequence 19. According to GWR, Afua Asantewaa took a 15-minute break, though she only had an opportunity for five minutes of rest time.
Another violation followed in sequence 21, where she took a 105-minute-long break despite having only accumulated 10 minutes of eligible rest.
These instances were considered rule violations, as rest breaks are the only time an individual may pause their activity in such a record attempt.
Any excess rest time beyond what is earned is viewed as a breach, and it invalidates the attempt entirely.
Guinness World Records emphasised that their decision to disqualify Afua Asantewaa is a matter of upholding the standards and fairness that define all record challenges.
They stated that for a record to be approved, all guidelines must be followed without exception.
Similar reasons for disqualification in first attempt
In December 2023, Afua Asantewaa made her first attempt to break the existing Sing-a-thon world record.
However, officials at Guinness World Records later disclosed that her attempt was unsuccessful due to violations related to her rest breaks.
“Afua Asantewaa’s sing-a-thon attempt was not successful due to guidelines around rest break timings not being met. These rules are standard across all of our ‘longest marathon’ records,” Alina Polianskaya, PR Executive for Guinness World Records, stated, in response to an email from Joy FM entertainment journalist Kwame Dadzie.
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