Music, arts and culture can create more peaceful life, Yudhoyono says

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said music, arts and culture, if developed well, could be a power to build a more peaceful, friendly and harmonious life.

"Music and culture could even be developed jointly to be `soft power` to be used in persuasive communication for handling problems, making it unnecesssary to employ `hard power,`" he said when launching his song album, "Rinduku Padamu" (My Longing for You), here on Sunday night.

He said many humanitarian problems could be solved if the spirit of "soft power" prevailed.

The president`s album contained ten romantic pop songs he had composed.

The president did not sing in his album. He had let other people, including Dharma Oratmangun, Gee Foregia, Senno Haryono, Kerispatih, Ebiet G Ade, Widi AB Three and Dea Mirella, sing his compositions.

All of the songs were arranged in collaboration with Jimmie Manopo, Purwatjaraka, Jumadi, Kerispatih and Bartje Van Houten.

Among the songs were "Kuasa Tuhan" (Divine Power) which he wrote on his way home from the United States last September and "Mengarungi Keberkahan Tuhan" (Living on Divine Blessednes) which he wrote in Sydney after attending an Asia and Pcific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in September.

Earlier: Indonesian president launched song album