Jason Mraz becomes first international star in decades to perform in Burma

Jason Mraz, the American singer, became the first major international entertainer in decades to perform in Burma, with a concert to raise awareness of human trafficking.

Jason Mraz (C) performs during the MTV EXIT Live show, a free concert aimed at raising awareness of human trafficking, in Yangon, Myanmar Photo: EPA

Mraz's 2008 hit "I'm Yours" was the finale for the night-time concert before a crowd of about 50,000 people at the base of the famous hilltop Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon, the country's biggest city.

Local artists, including a hip-hop singer, also played at the event organised by MTV in co-operation with US and Australian government aid agencies and the anti-slavery organisation Walk Free.

Burma is emerging from decades of isolation under a reformist elected government that took office last year after almost five decades of military rule. It has been one of the region's poorest countries, and its bad human rights record made it the target of political and economic sanctions by Western nations. But democratic reforms initiated by President Thein Sein have led to the lifting of most sanctions, and the country is hopeful of a political and economic revival. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy opposition leader, was released from house arrest in late 2010 and won a seat in parliament last April.

Mraz called his top-billed appearance at the concert a "tremendous honour."

"I think the country is, at this time, downloading lots of new information from all around the world. I've always wanted my music to be here, (for) hope and celebration, peace, love and happiness. And so I'm delighted that my music can be a part of this big download that Burma is experiencing right now," he said.

The Telegraph