SHILLONG: A band of drummers in Meghalaya on October

28 created a new world record for the largest

drum ensemble, a Guinness official said.

“A new Guinness world record was created with 7,951 drummers performing for more than five minutes in perfect rhythm,” Michael Whitty, a representative of the Guinness Book of World Records, announced after the event.

The previous record was set in February 2005 by Po Leung Kuk, a charity organisation in Hong Kong helping orphaned children, who assembled 7,727 drummers. “We are delighted indeed to create history,” M Lansing, vice chairman of the Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum (MTDF), said.

The nearly 8,000 drummers played a synchronised tune called Positive Vibrations for close to 20 minutes composed by a local musician, Rudy Wallang, at an open stadium. Whitty later handed over a certificate to the organisers of the event for having set the new record.

The ensemble also kicked off the state’s week-long Autumn Festival. “The participants included professionals, school children and villagers. There were about 1,000 indigenous drums being played in the event alongside the normal small drums,” said Aiban S Mawkhroh, MTDF general secretary.

More than 20,000 people witnessed the event. The Autumn Festival would have events like water sports, kite flying, fishing, archery, besides jugglers and entertainers from Australia.