Jason Mraz rocks Myanmar

Huge free rock concert with Jason Mraz under the golden Shwedagon Pagoda is the latest sign Myanmar is changing quickly.

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Music
CONCERT REVIEW

Temple of rock

20/12/2012
Yanapon Musiket

When more than 70,000 people gathered under the majestic Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon on Sunday, it was unlike anything Myanmar had experienced in many years. This was not a demonstration or a protest, but a groundbreaking pop and rock showcase in the People's Park and a milestone in the country's history....

...The concert caused a buzz worldwide because it featured the award-winning American musician Jason Mraz, who took the stage along with local artists... 

The Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon's iconic landmark gave an impressive backdrop to the four-hour concert at the People's Park, the temple's shimmering spire made the event a memorable experience... 

At the end of the night, Mraz, who showed up on the stage wearing a black T-shirt with a slogan "Slavery Sucks", walked home as the first world-renowned artist to perform in Myanmar in decades.

Prior to the concert, media from across the region had a 30-minute session with the superstar...

...Known for writing songs about love, peace and freedom, I asked Mraz which of his songs he thought best represented the anti-human trafficking campaign. He answered that back in 2010, shortly after a visit to Ghana, he wrote a song called Rescue. 

...I hoped I had a chance to play this song while I'm here, but it's not in my show tonight because I didn't get it cleared by the government. 

...Representing Thailand was rock quartet Slot Machine .... After the concert, I browsed through Slot Machine's Facebook page, and it came as no surprise to see it flooded with comments from Myanmar fans who enjoyed their performance.

...The night was capped off with Mraz's phenomenal hit I'm Yours, with the crowd singing along with until the end. And like other concerts around the globe, it was followed with a traffic jam.

While waiting for the traffic jam to die down, I walked towards the beautiful Shwedagon Pagoda and thought that like the towering golden spire, Myanmar has finally been illuminated. 

For more information, visit www.mtvexit.org

(Source: Bangkok Post, Music, CONCERT REVIEW, Temple of rock, 20/12/2012, Yanapon Musiket, link) 


Rock Concert Vocabulary
 
Jason Mraz - the famous acoustic rock guitarist from the US (See Wikipedia)

Shwedagon Pagoda - the largest pagoda in Yangon covered in gold leaf and which can be seen almost everywhere (See Wikipedia)

I'm your's - a famous Jason Mraz song played at the concert (See Wikipedia)
Rescue - the song that Jason Mraz thinks best represents the anti-human trafficking campaign (See Music Video & YouTube Lyrics)

concert - when people plays music in front of an audience คอนเสิร์ต, การแสดงดนตรี
rock concert - (See Wikipedia)

MTV Exit - a campaign and series of rock concerts and multimedia events to raise awareness and increase prevention of human trafficking. MTV EXIT has directly reached an estimated 7.5 million people through television, events, and the Internet, and countless more through additional media coverage generated.... In 2007, MTV EXIT expanded across MTV's channels in Asia and the Pacific in partnership with USAID, the United States Agency for International Development.... and is focusing on three major forms of trafficking: sex trafficking and forced prostitution, labour trafficking, and forced domestic servitude (See Facebook & Wikipedia & website & YouTube )

human trafficking - the illegal buying and selling of people for forced labor and prostitution (See MTV Exit & Wikipedia)

campaign - a series of actions intended to produce political or social change การรณรงค์, การกระทำการหรือวางแผนเพื่อให้บรรลุตามเป้าหมาย
anti-human trafficking campaign

perform (verb) - to do something in front of an audience to entertain them such as sing, dance or act out a play or show แสดง
performance (noun) - the act of performing in front of an audience to entertain them การแสดง

enjoy a performance
fans enjoyed their performance

American singer/songwriter Jason Mraz performing in front of Shwedagon Pagoda last Sunday

temple - a place of worship วัด,อาราม,วิหาร,โบสถ์, สถานที่ทางศาสนา โดยปกติมีโบสถ์ วิหาร และที่อยู่ของสงฆ์หรือนักบวช
temple of rock

majestic - big, beautiful and impressive in a calm and serious way; grand, dignified, sumptuous, exalted สูงส่ง, ยิ่งใหญ่,  สง่างาม 
the majestic Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon

experienced - to do something and have all the feelings that go along with doing it ซึ่งมีประสบการณ์
the event was unlike anything Myanmar had experienced in many years

demonstration - an occasion when a large group of people protest about something การชุมนุมประท้วง
protest - a strong complaint or disagreement ประท้วง
this was not a demonstration or a protest

groundbreaking - being the first to do something; something new, important, and different
showcase - to show the best qualities or parts of something แสดงจุดเด่นของสิ่งของหรือคน
a groundbreaking pop and rock showcase

milestone - an important event in the history or development of something  เหตุการณ์สำคัญ (ที่ควรบันทึกไว้) เหตุการณ์สำคัญ ความสำเร็จอันยิ่งใหญ่
a milestone in the country's history...

this was not a demonstration or a protest, but a groundbreaking pop and rock showcase and a milestone in the country's history....

buzz - a feeling of excitement, energy and pleasure ความรู้สึกตื่นเต้น
the concert caused a buzz worldwide

award - a prize or money given to someone for winning a competition or for doign something well รางวัล
award-winning

musician - a person who plays music (examples: a guitar or piano player, a singer, etc)
philanthropist - a person who gives a lot of money to good causes and people in need (See Wikipedia) ผู้ใจบุญ
the award-winning American musician Jason Mraz

take the stage - get up on the stage and perform

local - from inside the country (here: Myanmar)
local artists

the concert caused a buzz worldwide because it featured the award-winning American musician Jason Mraz, who took the stage along with local artists... 

iconic
landmark - very important (signals a new stage in development) เหตุการณ์ที่เป็นการแสดงถึงความคืบหน้า
iconic landmark

impressive
backdrop
impressive backdrop

shimmer
spire
shimmering spire

impressive
backdrop - everything that you can see behind the main thing that you are looking at ฉากหลัง ภาพเบื้องหลัง
impressive backdrop

memorable
experience
a memorable experience... 

the Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon's iconic landmark .... gave an impressive backdrop to the four-hour concert at People's Park, the temple's shimmering spire made the event a memorable experience... 

show up - appear at a place
showed up on the stage

slave 
slavery
sucks
slavery sucks

slogan - a short easily remembered phrase, especially one used to advertise an idea or a product สโลแกน
a black t-shirt with a slogan "Slavery Sucks"

renowned - famous and admired for a special skill or achievement ที่มีชื่อเสียง
world-renowned artist - the artist famous around the world

decades - periods of ten years เป็นสิบๆปี
the first to perform in Myanmar in decades

at the end of the night, Mraz, who showed up on the stage wearing a black T-shirt with a slogan "Slavery Sucks", walked home as the first world-renowned artist to perform in Myanmar in decades.

media - radio, television, newspaper, the Internet, considered as a group สื่อ
media from across the region

session - a formal meeting การชุมนุม
a 30-minute session with the superstar

prior to the concert, media from across the region had a 30-minute session with the superstar...

cleared - ok'ed, received permission, allowed to do something
cleared by the government

had a chance to  do - had an opportunity to do
...I hoped I had a chance to play this song while I'm here, but it's not in my show tonight because I didn't get it cleared by the government

represent - do something for someone; be a symbol for or act for them ทำหน้าที่แทน, ทำแทน, เป็นตัวแทน
representing Thailand

quartet - a group of four people playing in a band or musical group
rock quartet

representing Thailand was rock quartet Slot Machine. ....

browse - look through something (casually, not looking at details detail)  มองไปรอบ ๆ,  ดูผ่านๆ
After the concert, I browsed through Slot Machine's Facebook page,

it came as no surprise ... - meaning: we were not surprised to see this happen ...
it came as no surprise to see the Facebook page flooded with comments from Myanmar fans who enjoyed their performance

jam - to block กั้น ป้องกัน
traffic jam - when there are a lot of cars on the and they are not moving

like other concerts around the globe, it was followed by a traffic jam

phenomenal - very great and unusual
hit - a song that many people like; a very popular song
phenomenal hit

cap off - be the last thing that you do or that happens in some event
the night was capped off with

the night was capped off with Mraz's phenomenal hit I'm Yours, with the crowd singing along with until the end.

die down - to become less; reduce in size
waiting for the traffic jam to die down

towering - very high or tall สูงลิ่ว, สูงตระหง่าน, สูงเสียดเมฆ
spire - the pointed top of a building or tower ยอดแหลมของตึก
the towering golden spire

illuminated - lit up; bright ส่องสว่าง, ฉายแสง
Myanmar has finally been illuminated

like the towering golden spire, Myanmar has finally been illuminated