Renowned American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars will stage a live concert for the first time in Seoul on April 8.

The gig to be held at Olympic Park Gymnastics Gymnasium is part of the 2014 Moonshine Jungle Tour, his East Asian debut tour stopping through China, Japan, then moving on to Southeast Asia.

Born to a musical family in Honolulu, Hawaii, Mars moved to Los Angeles with the dream of becoming a musician after graduating from high school. The first thing he did on the way to a musical career was to create songwriting and production team, The Smeezingtons. The group has produced hits including Flo Rida’s “Right Round,” Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire” and K’naan’s “Waving Flag,” which was the theme song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Mars first gained recognition as a solo artist after featuring on B.o.B’s worldwide hit “Nothin’ on You” in early 2010. He formally entered the music scene later that year with his debut album, “Doo-Wops & Hooligans,” which featured hit singles “Just the Way You Are,” “Grenade,” “Marry You” and “The Lazy Song.” The album climbed to the top of the charts in several countries and won Mars a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 2010.

Mars’ sophomore album “Unorthodox Jukebox” was another success, producing hit singles “Locked out of Heaven,” “When I Was Your Man” and “Young Girls.” The album has sold almost 2 million copies worldwide and is a strong nominee for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2014 Grammy Awards scheduled for later this month.

Mars is also slated to perform as one of the headlining acts at the Super Bowl in New York on Feb. 2, alongside Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band Red Hot Chili Peppers. The Super Bowl halftime show has traditionally featured popular celebrities from different musical genres and is considered one of the most-watched events in American television.

Ticket prices for the upcoming Bruno Mars concert in Seoul have not been announced yet. For more information on his upcoming concert tour, visit www.brunomars.com/moonshinejungletour.

By Sohn Ji-young (jiyoung.sohn@heraldcorp.com)