by Roxanne Thompson

• Moses reported playing for 40 hours, 38 minutes and 3 seconds
• Evidence still to be submitted for official review
• Public support helped sustain birthday challenge

Grenadian violinist Jelani Moses completed a reported 40 hours, 38 minutes and 3 seconds of violin-playing at Plains Playing Field in St Patrick on Monday, 26 October, his 24th birthday. He described the milestone as particularly meaningful, saying it gave him an additional reason to push through the demands of the attempt. “Who breaks a record on their birthday?” he asked, describing the occasion as a legendary moment in his life.

However, completing the attempt does not automatically make Moses an official Guinness World Records (GWR) title holder. At the time of an interview with NOW Grenada, he said his team was preparing the video evidence for submission, a process that required the extensive footage to be divided into shorter clips. GWR must assess the evidence before confirming whether he has surpassed the existing benchmark of 40 hours, 5 minutes and 6 seconds, achieved by India’s Ravi Chandulal Kotadiya in 2024.

The attempt drew support from members of the public, including young people who stayed up through the night to watch Moses play. Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, who had publicly encouraged him ahead of the event, joined him in playing the drums during a visit, while Opposition Leader Emmalin Pierre also stopped by to show her support. Moses said the encouragement of spectators helped him push through exhaustion after more than 15 hours of playing, as he reflected on the eight months of training and sacrifice that led to the attempt. He singled out WeeFM reporter Donisha Alexander for her support throughout the marathon, while also thanking another supporter, Shereen, and those who came to watch. A planned UNBROKEN concert featuring local musicians performing alongside Moses did not take place as announced.

Moses said he followed GWR’s guidelines, including restrictions on the intervals between songs. While public congratulations have already described him as a record holder, he acknowledged that official recognition depends on the assessment of his evidence. “There is evidence that I have surpassed the record, but that does not mean that I am officially in the books,” he said.

Beyond the attempt, Moses encouraged young Grenadians to pursue their ambitions despite doubt and negativity. “Just keep using that to push beyond levels, and only focus on the positives,” he said, urging young people not to let temporary feelings of discouragement define their potential. He is now concentrating on rest and recovery, noting that his fingers still hurt following the marathon. He has not decided whether he will attempt another record but said he would share the official outcome once GWR completes its assessment.

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