RANGOON — Sixteen years ago when Mun Awng was in exile in Norway he wrote a song about how much he missed his hometown of Myitkyina in Kachin State. He gave it the title “I’ll be Back.”
“At that time Burma was facing real hardship. That song was about prison, liberty and unity,” he recalled.
After nearly three decades in exile, popular musician Mun Awng has made a comeback with the brand new album Raindrops of Peace released this weekend.
The Kachin singer and democracy activist rose to fame in the 1980s and previously released four albums.
Mun Awng escaped the military junta in 1988 after participating in a pro-democracy uprising. He lived in exile in Norway until last year when he returned to Burma and held a comeback concert in Mandalay in March.
Raindrops of Peace comprises 12 new songs including “I’ll be Back.”
Mun Awng said his album was intended to raise public awareness about the evil consequences of war.
The album’s message of peace is timely given the recent conflict in northern Shan State, which includes the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).
“Peace concerns everyone. People in Rangoon should not think that clashes in border areas have nothing to do with them—clashes at the border are clashes in Burma and they need to end,” he said.
“I want everyone to think about what they can do for those who are suffering from war,” he added. “Without unity, we can achieve nothing. That’s what I understand.”
