Finland, the capital of silly world championships such as wife-carrying and phone tossing, now has a new claim to fame: the world record for karaoke, organisers said Wednesday.
The former record of 145 hours, held by China and approved by the Guinness Book of World Records, was beaten late Tuesday by the Karaoke Club in Kouvola, a small town of 30,000 people on Finland's southern coast.
Broadcast live on the website www.karaokeclubkouvola.net, the contest continued on Wednesday with the goal of 240 hours of non-stop karaoke singing. The feat could be achieved on Sunday if successful.
Singers from across Finland travelled to Kouvola to take turns at the microphone.
The Nordic country already holds the world record for the biggest karaoke show, set last year in Helsinki by 80,000 fans of the hard rock group Lordi, winner of the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest, who all sang together.
Karaoke is very popular among Finns. Taxis are even equipped with karaoke machines so passengers can sing along during their ride.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2007