Filipina singer and actress
Celeste Kalugdan Legaspi-Gallardo (born March 18, 1950) is a Filipino singer, actress, film and theatre producer. She is an advocate for the rights of the artists. Her singles and albums reached gold or platinum status during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. She is the daughter of National Artist for Visual Arts César Legaspi. She has been one of the founders of the following artist organizations: Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM), Culturtain Musicat Theater Productions, Performers' Rights Society of the Philippines, and the OPM Archive. She is married to Nonoy Gallardo, an advertising director and one of the premier Original Pilipino Music composers.
Life and career.
Legaspi (nicknamed Maricelle) is third of the five children of National Artist Cesar Legaspi and "coloratura" Vitaliana Kalugdan. She started singing during her kindergarten years and by 1955, she started singing professionally with The Ambivalent Crowd, earning ₱25 per performance.
While in college at St. Paul, she played the lead role in "One Legendary Evening" and appeared in "Show Boat" as Magnolia followed by her performance as Nancy in the Philippine presentation of "Oliver!". She later confessed that her performance in "Show Boat" scared her. "There I was, cracking every night, unable to be heard from the musical accompaniment, with Mama holding on to my sister Diana's hand. As a result I was disillusioned with my singing and with my course then--nursing," Legaspi told in an interview.
But the then 16-year-old Legaspi didn't give up her singing. Her singing career flourished upon shifting her course to Communication Arts at Maryknoll College (now Miriam College). She joined The Ambivalent Crowd, became a college graduate in 1971, and married Nonoy Gallardo in March 1972, with whom she has three children. 
In 1972, she left The Ambivalent Crowd and joined the Up from Down Under Band as a soloist for a three-month stint at "Wells Fargo". She then became part of the Time Machine which at the time had a singer named Didith Reyes and Anthony Castelo who would both conquer the OPM charts in the years ahead.
Legaspi's career rose further 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 featured her in Filipino translations of popular songs at that time, most of the songs appeared in her Celeste ... Popular Songs Vol. 1 album. The album featured Celeste's heartwarming Filipino renditions of Minnie Ripperton's "Lovin' 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.
Theater arts.
After portraying the lead roles in the two college productions mentioned, Legaspi performed in the productions of the Philippine Educational Theater Association and the Cultural Center of the Philippines. She sang the part of the First Woman in the play "Tales of the Manuvu" (1977) produced by the CCP Dance Company, where she shared the stage with Hajji Alejandro. Her other stage works include an appearance in the hit musical "Katy!" (1988) for the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Tanghalang Pilipino, and the portrayals of Babae in "North Diversion Road" (1988), Caridad in the zarzuela "Paglipas ng Dilim" (1991), and Candida in "Larawan" (1992). Her most recent stage appearances include "Si Dr. Dolly Dalisay at ang mga Ladybugs" as the prostitute Leticia (2017), and in "Ang Pag-uulyanin ni Olivia Mendoza" as the trans woman Julia. 
With talent manager Girlie Rodis, she was co-founder of Musical Theatre Philippines (Musicat), which produced seven musicals: "Katy!" (1988), "Kenkoy Loves Rosing" (1992), "Alikabok" (1995), "Sino Ka Ba, Jose Rizal?" (1996), "Larawan, the Musical" (1997), "Fire Water Woman" (1999), and "Saranggola ni Pepe" (2008) 
Along with theater icon Zeneida Amador, she was awarded as the first recipient of the "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. Legaspi, being the founding president of the Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit and Philstage, was key in establishing the Philippines' sole alliance of professional performing arts companies and organizations.
Film and television.
Legaspi appeared in films such as Lino Brocka's "Santiago" (1970), "Stardoom" (1971) and "Sa Kabila ng Lahat" (1991), "Mamang Sorbetero" (1979), "Tatlong Ina, Isang Anak" (1987), "Anak ng Pasig" (1993) and Ishmael Bernal's "Wating" (1994). She also sang the main theme song of "Kahit ang Mundo'y Magunaw" (1975), a Manuel Cinco film starring Pilar Pilapil and Christopher de Leon. She was part of the cast of the 2017 film "Ang Larawan".
Legaspi is also a television actress. One of her earliest TV exposures is when she was eight years old appearing in a Vicks commercial. 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 1991, she also appeared in the RPN-9 drama series "Cebu". In 2014, she portrayed as Maricel Soriano's protective and aristocratic mother in GMA-7's romantic drama series "Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real". In 2023, Legaspi played the role of a Filipino-Chinese businesswoman and Rowell Santiago's aunt in the ABS-CBN romantic drama series "Can't Buy Me Love".
Recording career.
Legaspi is a successful recording artist, having produced albums and singles that reached gold and platinum status during the 1970s and 1980s. Her album "Ako at si Celeste" under Blackgold Records was awarded gold, and produced hit singles "Saranggola ni Pepe", "Tuliro", and "Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal?". "The Celeste" album included "Mamang Sorbetero". Her albums "Bagong Plaka", "Lumang Kanta Vol. 1" and "2" albums under Wea Records both reached the double platinum mark.
She won several awards including the Outstanding Performance award from the "Song Festival" in Tokyo, Japan, where she sang "Puso Mong Nagmamahal" (1976), Tinig Awards for live entertainment (1977, 1979, and 1990), and the Aliw Award for Entertainer of the Year (1978).
Influences.
Celeste Legaspi claims she is greatly influenced by Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Lena Horne, and Ella Fitzgerald. During one of her interviews she said that her type of music rests on elements of blues and those which intend to break the monotony of pop music.
References.
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Alice H. Reyes. "Entertainer Par Excellence". Expressweek, January 25, 1979, pp. 28–30