CELESTE LEGASPI is a multi-awarded singer and an actress for the stage. Her singles and albums reached gold or platinum status during the 1970s and 1980s. She is the daughter of National Artist for Visual Arts Cesar Legaspi. She spearheaded the Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM), a group which aimed to promote and propagate Original Pilipino music. She is married to Nonoy Gallardo, one of the premier OPM composers She started singing professionally with The Ambivalent Crowd in 1969. While in college, she appeared in Showboat as Magnolia followed by her performance as Nancy in the Philippine presentation of Oliver. She graduated in 1971 with a degree on Communication Arts at Maryknoll. In 1972. Then she became part of the Time Machine Band with Emil Mijares. Legaspi's career started to reach stratospheric heights upon joining the ASEAN Tour in 1975 followed by a solo concert at the Cultural Center of the Philippines' (CCP) Little Theater where Rolando Tinio, one of the Philippines' literary geniuses, featured her in Filipino translations of popular songs at that time such as Mini Ripperton's Loving You, Diana Ross' Theme from Mahogany, and The Lady Is A Tramp.The impressive feat was followed by successful dinner-theater presentations in 1977 of Manila, Manila which won her an Aliw Award for Best Dinner Theater performance for that year. She also starred in Doon Po Sa Amin and Jesus Christ Superstar in 1978, each garnering Best Dinner Theater awards. Celeste Legaspi appeared in Various films of Lino Brocka Santiago and Ishmael Bernal. In 1975-1976 she received the Sinag Awards from the Pambansang Akademya ng Telebisyon sa Agham at Sining (PATAS) for her performance in the TV special "At Long Last Celeste," and for the TV weekly musical "Iba't-ibang Celeste".In late 2011 she appeared in a telenovela on TV5 titled Glamorosa with Lorna Tolentino and Alice Dixson. In 1988, Celeste Legaspi with Manager-friend Girlie Rodis put up Musical Theater Philippines and mounted Original Filipino musicals such as KATY! In 1988, KENKOY LOVES ROSING , ALIKABOK, SINO KA BA JOSE RIZAL , ANG LARAWAN based on Nick Joaquin’s Portrait of an Artist as Filipino, book and libretto by Rolando Tinio and music by Ryan Cayabyab held the The CCP Main Theater. Caridad in the zarzuela "Paglipas ng Dilim" (1991), Babae with Mario O’Hara in “North Diversion Road” from Tanghalang Pilipino and Candida in "Larawan" (1992). Along with theater icon Zenaida Amador, she was awarded as the first recipient of "Natatanging Gawad Buhay!" Award given by the Philippine Legitimate Stage Artists Group, Inc. (Philstage). The award embodies her lifetime contribution and marvelous efforts for the production of original Filipino musicals which flourished for over two decades since the 1980s.
