JAKARTA, Indonesia — The words of the president of Indonesia boom through the room, and 24-year-old Desy grows quiet, listening to her leader’s message: “Is there in your heart? Is there in your spirit? The affection that I wait for like dew in my heart?”
Desy, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, leans against the counter of this downtown music store and grins. This is her favorite of the nine ballads President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has penned for his latest album, released last month and titled “Ku Yakin Sampai Di Sana,” or “I Believe I’ll Get There.”
Though he is more readily associated with concerns over terrorism and corruption than love and longing, Yudhoyono’s side career as a pop musician is not all that surprising in a place where the politician as performer is common.
The president’s songs, which cover everything from love and family to the environment and humanity, are all performed by popular local musicians.
