SAN JOSE: Sai "Psychuck" Manapragada once again made the Indian community proud when he earned his third Guinness World Record for hitting 669 piano keys in one minute, beating the former record of 498 keys held by Hungary's Balazs Havasi since 2009. The musical extravaganza event "Trinetram" not only presented this feat by Manapragada, making him the world's fastest piano player, but also showcased his multifaceted talents as a symphony composer and singer. "We organized 'Trinetram' since it symbolized Psychuck's third Guinness World Record attempt, and also because 'Netram' is dedicated to the charitable cause of raising funds for Sankara Eye Foundation," Srinivas Manapragada, organizer of the event and cultural ambassador for the Indian American community for the state of California Governor's Office, told India-West. Psymphony in association with TASC presented the event. The program included a symphony orchestra composed by Psychuck, Bollywood dance sequences performed by local Bay Area groups, a Bollywood medley of songs from Mukesh to Sukhwinder Singh performed by Psychuck, followed by a fashion show by famed Bay Area fashion choreographer Mario Benton. The evening began with more than 80 San Francisco Symphony artists performing a rendering of "Desert Rose." Psychuck then attempted his historic Guinness World Record moment to become the fastest piano player. Afterwards, he conducted a choir of more than 40 performers cherry-picked through rigorous auditions to perform Psychuck's symphonic version of "Saare Jahan Se Acha," with musical accompaniment by San Francisco Symphony artists. "We wanted to introduce symphony as an artistic musical genre to the Indian community as never before," Srinivas Manapragada told India-West. "Through 'Saare Jahan Se Acha,' a patriotic composition, Psychuck wanted to pay tribute to the motherland and to the community, similar to what A.R. Rehman had done with 'Maa Tujhe Salaam.'" Talking about his record, Psychuck told India-West that "the thought about the record first came to my mind when I realized as I was practicing to create a symphony that I could play the piano really fast. "I had already played the harmonium in India and learnt ten different styles of piano playing and am also familiar with sitar, so I was able to draw from this experience and create a new piano style called the jalra style, which has a fast-paced high tempo much like a sitar 'jalra.' This enabled me to confidently attempt the record." Philip Robertson, adjudicator at Guinness World Records, travelled from the UK to witness Psychuck's attempt. His team had recorders set up to ensure that the baton was hitting the chord and each key was being struck accurately.
The video was reviewed seven times in slow motion before it was confirmed that Psychuck was indeed the recipient of the latest Guinness World Record. In an unprecedented gesture, Bay Area city councils and mayors commended Psychuck by presenting him with seven awards from the state of California. Trinetram presented an opportunity for the Indian community to share in Psychuck's record breaking experience.
"The show is not just about me, it's also about showcasing the talents from the Bay Area Indian community," Psychuck told India-West. The choir performed solos and duets of popular Bollywood numbers while children from popular Bay Area dance groups like Aerodance and Pargav Dance Studio also performed some hit numbers. Deepa Thakore, Kavita Arora and Intekhab were the evening's hosts. Thakore later received a commendation from the city of Milpitas from Mayor Jose Esteves for her contributions to promoting culture in the community.
The video was reviewed seven times in slow motion before it was confirmed that Psychuck was indeed the recipient of the latest Guinness World Record. In an unprecedented gesture, Bay Area city councils and mayors commended Psychuck by presenting him with seven awards from the state of California. Trinetram presented an opportunity for the Indian community to share in Psychuck's record breaking experience.
"The show is not just about me, it's also about showcasing the talents from the Bay Area Indian community," Psychuck told India-West. The choir performed solos and duets of popular Bollywood numbers while children from popular Bay Area dance groups like Aerodance and Pargav Dance Studio also performed some hit numbers. Deepa Thakore, Kavita Arora and Intekhab were the evening's hosts. Thakore later received a commendation from the city of Milpitas from Mayor Jose Esteves for her contributions to promoting culture in the community.