Indonesian president launches music album

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has released his first music album, a collection of love ballads and religious songs he wrote, state media said on Monday.

The album, entitled “My Longing for You”, contains 10 songs written by Yudhoyono after he became president in 2004 and features some of the country’s popular singers, Antara news agency said.

He wrote one of the songs during a trip to Australia to attend a summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) grouping in September.

“I took time in my busy schedule to express my feelings as an ordinary human being,” Yudhoyono was quoted as saying by Antara at the album’s launch on Sunday night.

The president, a former general who crooned during his election campaigning, said it took him between one to two-and-a-half hours to compose a song.

His spokesman could not be reached immediately for comment.

Yudhoyono is not the only Indonesian general with musical talent.

A former armed forces chief, Wiranto, who is expected to run for president in the 2009 elections, has released a collection of love ballads he sings himself.