BOLIVIA: German music troupe pipes highest-ever concert record atop 6,000 metre Bolivian mountain

Record ID: 798876

  • Title: BOLIVIA: German music troupe pipes highest-ever concert record atop 6,000 metre Bolivian mountain
  • Date: 12th August 2007
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (German) MUSIKKAPELLE ROGGENZELL MEMBER, PHILIP KNILL, SAYING: "To support an educational campaign in Bolivian for poor children in regional areas, and improve access to schools: that is our objective. We were thinking what could we do to draw attention to the cause and we thought, why not go for a Guinness World Record for the highest concert in the world? We prepared for a long time. We went up the Acotango to 6068 metres above sea level and finally we did it."
  • Embargoed: 27th August 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVAE26EUSNPJXI1IGKL57Y9B3KE9
  • Story Text: A German music band claims to have set a Guinness world record for playing at the highest elevation in the world.
    The Musikkapelle Roggenzell - from the south of Germany - told Reuters they climbed to the summit of Bolivia's snowy Acotango mountain and played a half hour concert at some 6068 metres (19,908 feet) above sea level on Monday (August 06).
    The band took eight hours to scale the mountain and said it was all done in the name of charity, an educational campaign in Bolivia for poor children.
    "We were thinking what could we do to draw attention to the cause and we thought, why not go for a Guinness World Record for the highest concert in the world? We prepared for a long time," band member Philip Knill told Reuters on Wednesday (August 08).
    The band played to a small, dedicated group of fans that had followed them up, and helped to carry their trumpet, clarinets, flutes, percussion instruments and tuba.
    They played a range of pieces, including a tango and German "landler" folk dance piece.
    "I am relieved it worked so well. And I am really surprised about everything that we have achieved. It is a sublime feeling to know that we were up there and we played up there. And well, we played some good music up there.
    We really enjoyed it, it was a really special experience to be at over 6,000 metres," said band member Birgit Knill.
    The band says the highest record so far was at 5,545 metres, and made by Nepalese musical group close to the Everest base camp.
    They are now waiting for their record to be confirmed.
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