Benin: Landry Padonou among the 1,381 clarinetists in the Guinness World Record

The record is credited to the collective La Grande Clarinette. Guinness World Records notes that the previous record stood at 448 participants. French conductor Emmanuel Boulanger led the project for nearly a year before bringing together musicians from France and abroad.

For Landry Padonou, the journey began after learning about the call for participants through acquaintances. Invited to Bénin TV on 3 September, the musician explained that he submitted his application before being selected to take part in this collective performance.

The Beninese clarinetist also performs as part of the duo Landry+, alongside guitarist and singer Landry Dannon Magnidet. Afrik.com, which interviewed him after the record, notes that he also plays saxophone and flute and has been developing for several years a repertoire blending acoustic sounds with Beninese influences.

In Châtellerault, the 1,381 clarinetists had never played together before this attempt. Guinness World Records states that they nonetheless performed as a single ensemble in front of several thousand spectators, turning a passionate initiative into a new world record.

This performance brings new international exposure to Landry Padonou. The musician described the experience as a milestone in his career and says he now wants to pass on more of his knowledge to the younger generation while continuing his projects with Landry+.