A Nigerian woman identified as Ewaoluwa Olatunji has won the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest singing marathon.
According to a report from GWR on Wednesday, she sang Christmas songs for 31 hours to set the record.
“Ewaoluwa Olatunji, who goes by the stage name Ewa Cole aka “Queen of Afro-Solk”, has been awarded the record for the longest marathon singing Christmas songs,” the report read.
“Ewa sang for a total of 31 hours from 27-28 December to become the first holder of this record.”
According to GWR, the 29-year-old who hails from Lagos state said she took on this challenge to “promote peace and unity” and to inspire confidence in young people.
“Since childhood, I have been preparing for this moment. I was often put on stage to lead and perform at my school’s Christmas carols,” Ewa revealed.
GWR stated that throughout her record attempt, Ewa sang classic Christmas songs such as “Deck the Halls”, “Frosty the Snowman”, “Silent Night” and numerous others.
The record setter was not allowed to repeat any song within a one-hour period.
GWR added that just like every other ‘longest marathon’ record attempt, after every continuous hour of singing, Ewa was permitted a five-minute rest break, which could be accumulated if not taken. These were the only times that she had the chance to eat, sleep, or make use of the bathroom.
The prolonged spells of singing took their toll on Ewa as she had to battle fatigue, throat pain and stomach problems during her sing-athon.
“The most challenging period for me was between the eighth and 12th hours,” she said as quoted by Guinness World Record,” Ewa said.
“I had consumed a drink that caused mild food poisoning symptoms, forcing me to hold in flatulence to avoid public embarrassment.
“I was simultaneously experiencing profuse sweating, stomach, head, and throat aches, along with an urgent need to use the restroom.”
While she overcame this hurdle, Ewa disclosed that her throat pain then started getting worse and after 20 hours after it had reached an unbearable level.
Ewa said that by the 20th hour, she was very much desperate for a miraculous reprieve.
She added that she even thought about giving up at one stage, but fortunately, she was able to persevere through the pain and did not let it affect her ability to sing.
Ewa said she never for once stopped singing, even when she completely lost her voice.
She stated that she would be the first person to admit that God was absolutely by her side all through the sing-a-thon.
Ewa who works as a software engineer and also runs her own clothing brand told GWR that she is totally over the moon to have earned this Guinness World Records title and is “still buzzing with excitement”.
