Kuh Ledesma

by Linda SeidaLike Whitney Houston and Barbra Streisand, Kuh Ledesma started out as a singer and made a successful transition into films. She has been going strong in the Philippines for almost two decades and has a string of hit records to show for it, more than a dozen of which hit platinum and gold status. She also hosted the Akuhstic Café talk show in her homeland and appeared in a number of films, including her mid-'80s role as Tiger Lili in The Year of Living Dangerously with Signourney Weaver and Mel Gibson. The movie helped broaden her fan base and before the decade was over, she sang at London's Royal Albert Hall and also picked up a Salem Music Award. Her debut in the U.S. market, Precious, was released by Gold Koast Records in 1997 and was aimed at lovers of R&B and jazz. The album includes numbers penned by Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald. Unlike many singers, Ledesma never had youthful dreams of becoming a star vocalist. She set out to become a nurse, but when schoolmates invited her to become a member of their band, her musical abilities began to attract notice. Soon she was singing a number of solos, and before the year was out she joined another group. Half a year later, she established Music & Magic, her own band. It didn't take long for Ledesma and her companions to snag a record deal. Her popularity took off in a big way, and soon the band was being billed as Kuh Ledesma & the Music & Magic Show. During this period, the vocalist also stepped away from the confines of the band to perform separately, often as a guest artist. When Ledesma finally struck out on her own, a concert dubbed Ako an Pilipino (I am Filipino) struck a real chord with fans. The event marked the first concert that was entirely Filipino and spawned a successful double album of Filipino-penned songs. Ledesma followed up with another concert titled Inspired Madness. She acted as producer for these concept events and those that followed, which were televised in her native land as specials. A deal followed that made her the Lux Soap spokesperson in Thailand, Indonesia, and her homeland. She went on to perform in the U.S. The singer relocated to Los Angeles in 1990. She has recorded and performed with a number of artists, among them Jack Jackson and Noel Pointer.