Barely a year after drumming up a record with the largest percussion ensemble, Shillong strummed its way into Guinness World Records by assembling 1,730 guitarists to play the Bob Dylan classic Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door for over five minutes. (Picture on left shows participants at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Friday)

The audience roared in approval when police chief B.K. Dey Sawian announced that the Guinness-appointed adjudicator, Lapynshai Syiem, had endorsed the record. (The participants raise their guitars to celebrate in picture above)

“This is unbelievable. I am proud that my daughter was part of this,” said the father of the youngest of the guitarists, four-year-old Ashly Budnah from Malki.

There were just nine more guitarists in the ensemble than in the American group that held the previous world record. The magic number would have been 1,731 had one entry not been rejected on technical grounds. A source said the adjudicator had doubts about the permanent address of that guitarist.

The previous record was set at the Community America Ballpark in Kansas City on June 3, this year. The 1,721 guitarists who assembled there performed the Deep Purple rock anthem Smoke on the Water.

For Shillong, which has a clutch of bands that perform everything from pop and rock to soul and jazz, the two Guinness records in a year are a reaffirmation of its status as the hub of music in this part of the country.

Minister R.G. Lyngdoh, who can strum a few chords himself, was at the stadium to cheer the guitarists. “This is a proud moment for all of us in the Northeast and especially for the people of Shillong,” he said.

But since records are meant to be broken, Shillong’s joy could be short-lived. Musicians in London will attempt a new record for the most number of guitarists playing a song together on November 2. (Pictures by Eastern Projections)