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UPDATE DAY
A crowd of 361 people gathered in downtown Joliette, in Lanaudière, on Saturday evening, to stamp their feet in rhythm to establish the first Guinness record for foot rhythm.
The atmosphere became electric on Place Bourget, in downtown Joliette, after the countdown indicating the start of the challenge. For five minutes, the participants tapped their feet in rhythm to the sound of trad music to establish the first Guinness record for foot rhythm.
The crowd was delirious when Michel Bordeleau, well-known musician from the traditional music scene, and spokesperson for the event, announced that the challenge had been successful.
“For me, involved for 40 years in the cause of trad, it was quite an honor to be asked to do this. In the 80s, when I started with La Bottine Souriante, podorythmy was a somewhat random art, which I took to another level to make it an instrument in itself. We have just experienced a moment of connection, all together, as we do not often experience in a lifetime,” said Mr. Bordeleau.
The organizer, Mathieu Dufresne, had the idea of creating this event several years ago in order to collect donations for the Fondation des Samares, which supports the cause of school perseverance.
“It was delayed by the pandemic, but we managed to mobilize the business community, the school community, the world of trad music. To set the record, it was necessary to bring together more than 250 people. Today, we were 361 people. We'll see if we can beat our own record next year,” he said.
Auditions were held to select participants capable of kicking their feet properly, and 25 teams were trained, sponsored by businesses in the region and guided by musicians from the trad scene.
Kevin Nadeau, of the group Les Campagnards, was artistic director and responsible for the development of the record. “I mobilized all my contacts in the world of trad music. It was really a beautiful moment for us. We don't often have the chance to experience moments like this together.”
Officials Antoine Gauthier and Philippe Jetté checked that each participant tapped their feet in rhythm without stopping for the five minutes. “We will send the completed forms and, within four to six weeks, the record should be approved by Guinness,” said Philippe Jetté.