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| Celeste Legaspi |
Celeste Legaspi showed why she is
regarded as one of the finest singers in the Philippines in her Mother’s Day
showcase with ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra led by Ryan Cayabyab held at the
Shangri-La Plaza.
Although still recovering from a
cold, Celeste gave a soul moving performance, with her voice remaining as exquisite
as ever even after more than four decades in the business. For this performance, she and
Ryan Cayabyab have unearthed his orchestral arrangements from her concert back
in 1985 giving the young ones at the audience a chance to hear music that she
described as vintage, classic, and timeless.
Celeste’s music were indeed
proven timeless as the audience gave generous applause upon recognizing the
opening strains of her greatest hits namely Tuliro, Gaano Ko Ikaw
Kamahal, and Mamang Sorbetero.
She in turn gave tribute to Ryan
Cayabyab aka Mr. C who celebrated his birthday less than two weeks before by
singing one of his songs, Nais Ko. She
was full of conviction when she expressed her desire for Mr. C to be awarded as
National Artist for Music.
Her rendition of Lupa was epic as it was a masterful
display of not just singing but also in communicating and being one with the
song. I had goosebumps during this song and it felt like the entire mall was
all ears during this number and this moment was only broken with the audience’s
rapturous applause. It was remarkable that despite the usual noise inside the
mall, Celeste commanded attention and was able to deliver heartfelt renditions
of La Vie en Rose that she dedicated
to her mother and the finale Never Ever Say Goodbye
in which she was almost in tears.
The affair wasn’t just filled
with tear jerkers as Celeste showed that she could sing anything with numbers
like Bakyang-Bakya, Mister Musikero and a “classical” Pipit. Her encore, Minsan ang Minahal ay Ako, was also very well appreciated although
there were clamors for her to sing Saranggola
ni Pepe. This was actually played the by the spot on ABS-CBN Philharmonic
Orchestra serving as an overture to the concert. The orchestra also did Liman-dipang Tao while Celeste took a
breather halfway through the concert.
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| Ryan Cayabyab conducting the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra |
For me, it was during the upbeat
numbers that the arrangements felt very 1980’s and somewhat dated but the
ballads remarkably stood the test of time. I just wish that the Mamang Sorbetero was performed with the
arrangement from the actual recording that had the strings, flutes, a slapping
bass, and of course, the bells.
It is noteworthy that almost all
of the songs that Celeste performed were in the Filipino language and also by
local composers. Thank goodness that Shangri-La Plaza is a mall where
Filipino music and artists are celebrated as evidenced by recent performances
there by Joey G., South Border, Rivermaya, and Up Dharma Down. This reminded me
of a controversy at a different mall when a rock band was forbidden to sing any
songs in Filipino.
After the concert, a lot of
senior citizens were brought back in time and became fangirls once again as
they crowded around Celeste showering with her well wishes and having their photos
taken with her. I saw a bunch of mothers and grandmothers who were very excited
to have their children and grandchildren meet her. It was like the older set
proudly showing their generation’s treasure to the younger ones. On the other
hand, Ryan Cayabyab showed his mastery in taking selfies with fans who
patiently waited in line. I wish that in the future, there will be a more organized
meet and greet session for the convenience of the artist and the fans and also
for everyone’s safety.
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