“Look at my concert poster. It looks so grand,” Celeste Legaspi mused while pointing to the backdrop of the stage outside The Theater at Solaire where she welcomed a few members of the press. “Yes! It looks very theatrical,” we retorted.
The poster, which appeared as if she were emerging from behind the theater curtain, speaks so much of the kind of artist she was during her prime and the kind of music advocate she is nowadays—very dynamic and full of life.
During her heyday in the ‘70s, when every singer capitalized on sentimentality, Legaspi infused elements of blues into her singing. Hers is a distinct voice that you’ll never get tired of listening to and humming along with.
With singles and albums that have reached gold and platinum status, Celeste Legaspi went on to conquer more heights with accolades and awards including Outstanding Performance Award from the Song Festival in Tokyo, Japan in 1976, Tinig Awards for live entertainment (1977, 1979, and 1990) and the Aliw Award for Entertainer of the Year (1978).
Touted as a legendary singer, the actress and music icon is the voice behind timeless classics like “Tuliro,” “Sabado,” “Mamang Sorbetero,” and “Saranggola Ni Pepe,” to name a few. On the silver screen, people best remember her in Lino Brocka’s Sa Kabila Ng Lahat, Mario O’Hara’s Tatlong Ina, Isang Anak, and Ishmael Bernal’s Wating.
In recent years, she has earned the admiration of an entirely new generation of viewers in her theatrical forays in Katy and Larawan The Musical, and in her acting stint in the GMA-7 series Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real where she was properly elegant as Maricel Soriano’s protective mother.
It has been a long time since we last heard Celeste Legaspi perform on the concert stage. It has been three decades to be exact. Hence, the 67-year-old OPM icon had mixed emotions when she was talking about what people can expect from the concert billed simply as Celeste.
“I have all the reasons to be nervous, I’m only human and besides I have not mounted any concert in a long time. Though I do get nervous all the time, I’ve learned how to relax before I perform,” Legaspi told Manila Standard.
Another thing that made Legaspi feel apprehensive in mounting a solo concert is the fact that she was away from the concert circuit for decades, the audience of today might not be able to relate with her music. But like her other showbiz endeavors, she’s found a new set of followers who were not even born yet when her music ruled the airwaves.
“Honestly, it’s nakakaaliw. It’s one of the best gifts God has given me. It’s the music that can still speak to the younger generation. Like ‘Tuliro,’ I was talking with Edgar San Diego, who’s a designer, and his daughter is a millennial and absolutely likes the song.”
Featuring The Company and with Ryan Cayabyab as musical director, the concert lineup would be in the perspective of her father’s (National Artist for Visual Arts Cesar Legaspi) contribution to the country and within the tapestry of the music she created in the past.
“This concert is extra special since it coincides with my father’s centennial. What better way to honor him than to stage a concert in his memory,” shared the OPM singer.
Solaire is bent to be a home for the best Filipino artists. So, after the huge success of Basil Valdez’s concert at the Theatre at Solaire, Audie Gemora, Solaire Entertainment director, said that “it makes perfect sense to bring the original diva Celeste Legaspi next. You will notice that in the last two years, Solaire has been at the forefront of bringing back OPM concerts which for the longest time have dwindled due to foreign acts.”
Celeste on Aug. 5 at The Theatre at Solaire promises to be a nostalgic night that will also be a tribute show for the Queen That Rules The Hearts of All. For tickets, call Ticketworld at 8919999.