CAREER HIGHLIGHTS*
Kuh Ledesma's music career spans 25 years of performances which include more than 300 concerts, numerous awards in the Philippine music scene, and 18 albums in the local recording industry. She was the first Filipino singer to be the recipient of the Salem Music Awards in March 1989. In 1997 she released an international debut album entitled PRECIOUS, a collaboration of the best American and Filipino songwriters, arrangers and musicians.

Her singing career began when she joined Lastiko, then the Ensalada band in Bacolod while she was still in college taking up Nursing. Kuh and bandmates Toto Gentica and Jet Montelibano later went to Manila and formed the MUSIC & MAGIC band. It was her very successful stint performing with Music & Magic which proved to be pivotal to her career. The strong presence of the group in the live circuit paved the way for Kuh to snag the lead role in Alice Reyes' pop ballet, RAMA HARI. She eventually went solo with her first hit song DITO BA.

Kuh is known for her lavish concept shows, putting up solo concerts in venues like the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Araneta Coliseum, PICC and Folk Arts Theater in the 80's during a time when singers shunned large venues because they were difficult to fill.

She launched an all-Filipino concert AKO AY PILIPINO (1982) at the CCP which featured a repertoire of ethnic sounds, classic kundimans and beautiful pop songs in a refreshing production that displayed Kuh's passion for tapping into the rich node of indegenous art as well as contemporary pop music to produce alternative approaches to songs. The show eventually spinned off into a TV special and a double album.

This was immediately followed by another production at the CCP, INSPIRED MADNESS (1983), created in collaboration with film director Peque Gallaga and musical director Ryan Cayabyab featuring noveau musical arrangements and unconventional production design. In light of the state of the times back then it was also here where we see a glimpse of Kuh's political color as she quietly paid tribute to Ninoy Aquino at the end of the show by singing a beautiful a cappella of "Impossible Dream" and "You'll Never Walk Alone" (translation: "Hindi Ka Nag-iisa"). And she did this in CCP yet! 1984 through 1986 Kuh joined the APO Hiking Society in ANG PINOY NGA NAMAN! 1, 2, and 3 at the Folk Arts Theater.

In the 90's Kuh had a series of back-to-back concerts with foreign artists like Noel Pointer, Jack Jones, and Kenny Rankin (and later with The Platters and Michel Legrand). This later led to the popular POWER OF TWO concert series that had Kuh performing with local artists like Regine Velasquez, Pops Fernandez, and Jaya in a bid to show that artists can work together and go against formula in creating a good show.

Kuh has also appeared in films (ORO PLATA MATA, TINIMBANG ANG LANGIT, THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY) and theater (RAMA HARI and KAPINANGAN), and made numerous TV specials including the award-winning program KUH BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

Not content with being just a performer, Kuh has also formed her own production company (HEADLINE CONCEPTS), built alternative concert venues like the MUSIC MUSEUM and the REPUBLIC OF MALATE, owns a recording studio (BRAVO RECORDS) -- thus, giving her much artistic freedom and enabling her to produce and market her own work. She is known for looking out for new talents and helping jumpstart their careers through appearances in her concerts.

Kuh has also brough most of her shows abroad like her POWER OF TWO series and her DIVA2DIVA concert with Zsa Zsa Padilla which toured again in the US last November and December. Currently, Kuh marks her importance in the local music scene via rare, talked-about shows and a co-hosting spot in the Sunday variety show, "A.S.A.P. Mania."

This year Kuh celebrates her 25th year in the music industry through a series of shows at the Captain's Bar of the Mandarin Oriental Manila dubbed as "Kuh Ledesma Presents." Every month Kuh puts up a different show featuring artists of her choice. The series kicked off in February in time for the Valentine season, and with young pop idol Christian Bautista as special guest. Kuh is also set to release a number of albums this year as well as a photo book chronicling her career.

*Written exclusively for KUHLEDESMA.NET

READ HER OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY

MOVIE CREDITS:
TINIMBANG ANG LANGIT

Starring role as a struggling singer that becomes a star with the help of a composer played by Christopher de Leon.
1982
 

THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY

International movie directed by Peter Weir and starring Mel Gibson and Sigourney Weaver. Kuh took on the role of Tiger Lily.
1982
 

ORO, PLATA, MATA

A tale set in World War II Philippines about how a rich family copes with the war and how the people change amidst violence and death. Its stellar cast included Joel Torre, Cherie Gil, Mitch Valdes, Liza Lorena, Sandy Andolong, Kuh Ledesma and Fides Cuyugan Ascencio, among many others.
Best Movie, 1983 Metro Manila Film Festival, directed by Peque Gallaga.
1983
 

TILL I MET YOU

Kuh makes a rare cameo appearance in this movie which stars Regine Velasquez and Robin Padilla.
2006
 

Tinimbang ang Langit


Oro, Plata, Mata

TV CREDITS:
AKO AY PILIPINO TV Special

 

NaKUH EtonAPO Sila

April - September 1986
 

KUH BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

October 1986 - May 1987
 

GMA TELE-SINE

"Mag High Heels Ka Inday"
14 August 1994
 

THE MAKING OF A DIVA

September 1994
 

AKUHSTIC CAFE

A regular monthly special and grand finalist in the Asian Television Awards in Singapore for best musical program.
January 1996 - February 1998
 

NASA PUSO KA NAMIN... LOLO PEPE

A special in commemoration of the Centennial of Dr. Rizal's death.
November 1997
 

THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS: The Greatest One of All

December 1998
 

LOVE POWER

Valentine TV Special
March 1999
 

FOR THE LOVE OF...

August 2002
 

E-MAP PROJECT

November 2002
 

BITUIN Teleserye

She took over from Jessa Zaragoza, who was eight months pregnant at the time, in the ABS-CBN telenovela (soap opera) "Bituin" where she played Lyrica Luna, the new talent manager of Bernadette (Carol Banawa).
 

ASAP MANIA

Co-host of this Sunday noontime variety show.
Since January 2004. Read more...
 

ON HER ROLE AS LYRICA IN BITUIN:
"I took acting classes in LA. Sayang naman (It's a pity) if I let it go to waste," Ms. Ledesma joked during an interview with BusinessWorld. "I didn't want to portray a villain, I only agreed to do it because they (the producers) promised me that my character will turn around and that I will be good eventually." she said.

Bituin

ASAP Mania

THEATER CREDITS:

RAMA HARI

Cultural Center of the Philippines, 1980.
The song popularized by Kuh Ledesma "Magbalik Ka Na Mahal" comes from this pop-ballet where she played the singing part of Sita opposite Basil Valdez and Leo Valdez who also starred in this production depicting the life of King Rama (of the South Asian epic, the "Ramayana.") Music by Ryan Cayabyab with Filipino libretto by Bienvenido Lumbera and directed by Alice Reyes.
 

KAPINANGAN

Manila Metropolitan Theater, 1981.
A drama-musical based on Ricaredo Demetillo's "The Heart of Emptiness Is Black," with Filipino libretto by Orlando Nadres, directed by Behn Cervantes, music by Ryan Cayabyab. It starred Kuh Ledesma as the ill-fated Kapinangan, wife of Datu Sumakwel (Robert Arevalo), who falls in love with Gurunggurung(Hajji Alejandro), Sumakwel's vassal.
 

OTHER VENTURES:
- Republic of Malate
- Music Museum
- Headline Concepts, Inc.
- Bravo Records
- Good News Cafe
- HACIENDA ISABELLA
- The Good Earth Restaurant
- Teatrino

BOOKING INFO:

For bookings and inquiries please contact
HEADLINE CONCEPTS
Telephone: +63(2) 551-7253 to 55
Fax: +63(2) 551-7251
E-mail: