Indian student in Dubai sets Guinness World Record for singing in 140 languages at concert
Suchetha Satish performed for 9 hours straight, all from memory, as prelude to COP28
Dubai: An Indian expat in Dubai has set a new Guinness World Record for the most languages sung in a concert by singing in 140 languages - for nine hours at a stretch, all from memory.
Suchetha Satish had performed her ‘Concert for Climate’ on November 24, 2023 at the Indian Consulate Auditorium in Dubai as a prelude to COP28 UN climate conference, which concluded in December in Dubai.
The Guinness World Records officially announced the success of her attempt on their website on January 3. She was presented the Records certificate by the Consul General of India in Dubai, Satish Kumar Sivan, who congratulated her. Though Satish could have sung in 150 languages, she preferred to sing in 140 as a tribute to the 140 heads of states invited to COP28.
Message of preservation
She told Gulf News: “I’m delighted and humbled by the fact that the Record has been reported and applauded by media across India and rest of the world. And more importantly the Concert for Climate and the message for climate preservation has spread far and wide, which really justifies the whole effort. We have to do everything possible to make this world a better place to live in.”
She tries to emulate her role model Shreya Ghoshal in rendering the songs “perfectly”.
Award-winning music composer M Jayachandran, who was present at Satish’s concert, said: “It was so heartening to see her smile as she was journeying through these songs. I felt so proud to be there. Suchetha is indeed an extra-ordinary artist. She sang the songs with total dedication, understanding the inner meanings of each word she was singing and at the same time not compromising on the musicality or nativity of each song.”
The first-year digital media student at Middlesex University Dubai - who also learns carnatic, hindustani and western vocals from teachers Asha Menon, Jerry Amaldev and Hanna Nielazina - aims to become an accomplished international performer and playback singer.