Irish pop star Ronan Keating to play Cambodia

PHNOM PENH (AFP) - Irish pop crooner Ronan Keating is to perform before tens of thousands of Cambodians next month, organizers said Monday, in the country's first concert by a major international act.

Some 30,000 Cambodians will attend the gig by the former frontman of boy band phenomenon Boyzone, said Kevin Kouch, a senior producer at the Cambodian Television Network which is sponsoring the concert.

"It's our first time (hosting a headline act) ... It will be a big success," he told AFP.

Keating's performance will be the highlight of a longer trip through Cambodia, during which he is expected to visit the Angkor temples and several orphanages, Kouch said.

Although Cambodia has hosted a number of minor foreign music acts in recent years, Keating's concert is intended to open the way for greater international exposure, municipal culture office official Mom Suth said.

"We hope the group will spread information regarding our culture and tourist potential to the rest of the world," he said.

Since first hitting the stage with Boyzone in 1994, Keating has racked up 28 top 10 hits and sold more than 21 million albums worldwide, according to his Web site.

His Cambodia concert, to be held in Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium, is part of a three-date Asian tour which includes performances in Bangkok and Taipei.