The album, called 'Rinduku Padamu' (My Longing for You), was released on Sunday evening. It contains 10 romantic pop songs written by the president. The Indonesian president does not actually sing on the album, however, vocals being provided by some of country's most popular singers.
"Music and culture could even be developed jointly as 'soft power' to be used in persuasive communication for the handling of problems, making it unnecessary to employ 'hard power,'" the agency quotes the president as saying.
Yudhoyono added that culture, if developed well, could aid in creating a more peaceful, friendly and harmonious society.
The president said he had composed the songs while performing his state duties. For example, a song named "Mengarungi Keberkahan Tuhan" (Living on Divine Blessedness) was written in Sydney after the September summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
The president, who used to play in a band called 'Gaya Teruna,' is not the only state leader to write and perform music. In early October, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez released his first album, a CD featuring traditional Venezuelan and Mexican music, entitled 'Canciones de Siempre' or 'Songs for All Times'. The album comprised songs recorded during Chavez's regular 'Hello, President' TV and radio show broadcast on Sundays.
