Pics: Niranjan M N
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (TP)
Udupi, July 5: Renowned singer and reality show star Vidwan Yashwanth M G was felicitated by Daijiworld Udupi and Kishoo Enterprises for entering the Golden Book of World Records for his extraordinary 24-hour musical tribute titled ‘Balagana-Yashoyana’, dedicated to the legendary playback singer late Dr S P Balasubrahmanyam.
The honour was conferred by Kishore Gonsalves, director of Kishoo Enterprises, and Kevin Rodrigues, operations manager at Daijiworld Udupi. The felicitation took place during the recording of Daijiworld Swara Sagara, in recognition of Yashwanth’s unique effort commemorating the birth anniversary of Ghana Gandharva Dr S P Balasubrahmanyam.
Yashwanth M G rose to fame after winning ETV singing reality show ‘Yede Tumbi Haduvenu’ in 2006. He also participated in Zee Kannada’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and Udaya TV’s Sangeetha Mahayuddha in 2010. In 2005, he was honoured with the Yuva Gayaka Prashasti by the government of Karnataka. With over 3,000 concerts to his credit and having mentored more than 5,000 music students, he currently appears as the chief guest of Swara Sagara, Daijiworld’s flagship music reality show airing on Daijiworld 24/7.
Speaking at the event, Yashwanth M G said, “In life, I always take two decisions: to win after losing, and to lose again after winning. I have faced many failures in my early life, but each failure built a strong foundation for my victories. In 2006, when I won ‘Yede Thumbi Haaduvenu’, I got an opportunity to be with S P Balasubrahmanyam and listen to his songs. I always worship his words. I wanted to organise an event dedicated to him but couldn’t do it then.”
He further shared, “When this reality show started, I observed that participants took months to practise one song. Seeing this, I felt I should achieve something. On June 4, S P Balasubrahmanyam’s birth anniversary, I searched the Guinness World Records and Golden Book of World Records to see what kind of achievements had been recorded. I mailed both organisations, and the Golden Book of World Records responded immediately, so I applied.”
He explained, “In Maharashtra, a singer had sung Mukesh Kumar’s songs continuously for 12 hours. To break his record, I needed just five minutes more, but I decided to double it. With everyone’s blessings, I achieved it. Along with me, musicians Prajwal, Varsha, Sumukh, Rajgopal, and Vaman joined hands. I sang about 270 songs in 24 hours. To achieve this, I avoided eating food, drank only water, and ate fruits. My strength came from the single thought that I am doing something remarkable.”
Alwyn Andrade, anchor of Daijiworld Swara Sagara, along with Daijiworld Udupi staff members, were present on the occasion.