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World’s highest GIG
by RUBEENA D SHRESTHA
| FROM ISSUE # 198 (June 2012) | IN THIS ISSUE | |||
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Another world record was set in the Himalayas on the 16th of May. The World's Highest Gig was performed at a height of 6,476m (22,476ft) on Mera Peak. Music4children, a charity based in London had set the world record for the World's Highest Gig at Kalapathar Base Camp in 2005 at an elevation of 5,545 m (18,192 ft) and raised enough money to build an orphanage in Nepal. This record was subsequently broken in Bolivia and as Oz Bayldon, the man behind this endeavour said before leaving for the expedition, "The record was stolen from us and we are here to win it back!" Oz Bayldon owns a pub in London called The White Lion. But to call it just a pub would be doing it grave injustice for in addition to being a live music venue and a hostel, it provides free DJ, drama and dance classes to disadvantaged children. A musician himself, Oz first came to Nepal in 2002 as part of an international music festival. "A life changing moment occurred during one of my walks around Kathmandu when I met a little disabled child begging on the streets. I was buying him food when I found myself surrounded by 30 street kids and I fed them all for less than £30. And that's how Music4children was born." says Oz. Determined to make a difference, he set about raising funds to make his vision of a community-run, ethical orphanage a reality. The charity boasts of patronage by the likes of Sting and Elle McPherson and works with Help Nepal to ensure that all the money raised goes to the cause. Oz hopes to raise over £45,000 and this amount will sustain the orphanage for 3 years. This time around the 10 member group, all volunteers, including four musicians, two DJs, photographers and camera crew. "Although two of our members could not reach the peak due to altitude related issues, we performed at the summit for around an hour and we got the record back- back to where it rightfully belongs," an exultant Oz said from the summit after the performance. Dinesh Deokota of Adventure First Treks and Expeditions has been involved with the group from the very start had this to say, "Most climbers come to set their individual records, usually on Mt Everest but here we have a group of people, all non-climbers who traveled across the world to perform this gig to support and give a voice to the children of Nepal. Also the publicity generated by such events could promote the smaller, lesser known but equally interesting peaks in Nepal." Music4children is not content with winning their record back, They now want to set as many records as possible, all with the aim of raising funds to help children around the world. "We have gigs lined up in the Amazonian rainforest, at the North Pole, and one that involves base jumping into a crater in Mexico, we are just getting started," declares Oz. MERA PEAK Mera Peak is regarded as the highest official trekking peak in Nepal. It is the highest mountain in Nepal (6,476m, 22,476ft) accessible to people with no significant mountaineering experience and is classified as a non-technical trek. Any mountain is dangerous but Mera is one of the safer mountains to climb at this altitude. Additionally, it offers some of the most spectacular scenery, pristine forests, and high altitude climbing in the world. The view from the summit is one of the finest in the Himalaya with five 8,000m peaks visible: Mount Everest, Lhotse, Cho Oyo, Makalu, and Kanchenjunga. GETTING THERE Lou Dolubu is a singer, songwriter and musician from Denmark and Sweden, who is currently living in London. She is working on releasing her first EP this July. "I love teaching music to kids, they have such joy and exuberance, and that's the reason I am here in Nepal- for the kids," she says. Jean Baptiste Pilon is a 25 year old French musician who has been living in London for the past couple of years and plays rock funk, acoustic and folk music. "I composed a couple of songs on our way up to the summit and performed one of those. It was amazing," he gushes about the experience. Gennaro Serra is a freelance photographer and also plays the drums and guitar beautifully. "This brings all my passions together- travel, climbing music and photography. And where else could I have have met such great people working for such a good cause and to top it all, be part of a record breaking event?" muses Gennaro. Richard Littler and Simon Parkinson are DJs who run and volunteer at free DJ and music workshops for disadvantaged kids and children with multiple disabilities. "The acoustic guitars need to be amplified at that height," says Richard, "and we also used beats and loops to accompany the musicians on Mera." 19 year old Naser Ghazi and 18 year old Calum Davidson have been friends since they were little boys. Calum is a camera man and Naser the editor and they have travelled halfway across the world to record this momentous event after listening to and being inspired by Oz Bayldon. Dariusz Adamek is a freelance photographer whose work can be seen in many fashion and lifestyle magazines. "This is my first time in Nepal and my personal goal in addition to climbing Mera Peak is to take great photographs and sell those so I can continue contributing to Music4children," he says. What constitutes a world record for the highest concert in the world? There must be atleast10 audience members. 
The normal approach is to make your way to Lukla by land or air. Then instead of heading north towards Namche Bazaar and Everest, trek east towards the ridge of peaks that divides the Dudh Kosi from the Hinku Valley. Cross the Zatra La then descend steeply to the Hinku. Go north and east for 2-3 more days to reach Mera La. The summit is now to the south and can be reached in one or two days of glacier travel. Proper acclimatization is critical to having a good chance of reaching the summit. Most climbers summit 12 days after leaving Lukla. 
It must be amplified.
The gig must last longer than 15 minutes with no more than 30 seconds break between each song.
There must be at least 2 upstanding members of the community present to verify the record.
Participants must be logged, signed and dated.
Visual proof that the record took place through films and photographs.