Addie takes pleasure in smoking cigars

For conductor Addie MS, 46, cigars are an everyday luxury. He smokes a cigar between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to relieve work-related stress.

"For me, 4 p.m. is the best time to smoke a cigar. I wait for 4 p.m. with enthusiasm," Addie told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Sometimes, if he meets a colleague or attends a party, he smokes two or three cigars a day.

As the director and conductor of the Twilite Orchestra, Addie has no need to go to his office daily. So, he often enjoys a cigar on the back terrace of his home.

He said his wife, pop singer Memes, and sons Kevin and Tristan knew that 4 p.m. was Addie's time for a cigar.

"They understand," said Addie, who often downs a Starbucks cafe latte during his cigar-smoking ritual.

His cigar smoking has increased in line with the rise of his musical career.

Beginning with Adipati, a local-brand light cigar, Addie later tried stronger-tasting cigars like Davidoff and Macanudo and then progresses Montecristo No.4.

"Now, I like the Partagas D-Series. I like it a lot. But since it is expensive, I smoke it only once in a while," he said.

Asked if smoking a cigar gave him inspiration for his music, Addie said there was no relation between smoking and inspiration.

"I work hard. Inspiration comes from hard work, not from dreaming. Usually, I enter my workroom, sit down and think hard. Inspiration does not come from dreaming," he said.

Although aware of the health risks of smoking, with more and more countries banning smoking in public places, Adi finds it soothing to smoke cigars.

"I smoke a cigar while watching the beauty of the sky and listening to light music," he added.

These days, Addie is preparing for The Adventures to the Galaxy, which the Twilite Orchestra will perform in Jakarta.

The Twilite Orchestra will perform a number of songs, the original soundtracks of the Star Wars movies.

Unlike previous performances that were performed due to individual requests, The Adventures to the Galaxy is being performed at the initiative of the Twilite Orchestra.

"A lot of people are Star Wars fans. Hopefully, many people will come," he said. The performance takes place on Nov. 15 at Balai Sarbini. -- Kurniawan Hari