It was a blast for hopeless romantic music fans at the Pinoy Playlist Music Festival (PPMF) 2024 when the Ryan Cayabyab Awards gave tribute to timeless Filipino music legends Celeste Legaspi and Odette Quesada at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater, BGC Arts Center.

To honor the founder of the Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM), Celeste Legaspi, her manager and friend Girlie Rodis recalls how she had a front row seat to almost everything Celeste has accomplished and continues to achieve. “Everybody from the boomers, Gen Xs, millennials, to Gen Alphas know Celeste’s songs.”

Celeste Legaspi was ecstatic with her friends’ participation in the tribute. “I started in St Paul College Quezon City, in an operetta,” she shares. “I was not the lead so I memorized all the lines---in case madapayung lead, handana ko (In case, the lead suffers an accident, I am ready),” the 74-year-old icon reveals. “After that, I went to St. Paul College Manila and between that, I was very fortunate to be immersed in community theater by Dr Felicidad Mendoza. I was doing comedia,” Celeste muses.

“Loving Filipino music, Filipino lyrics in particular, then very beautiful, wonderful people worked with me,” she reminisced. “And they all became National Artists, how lucky can I be? I will always be grateful to Rolando (Tinio), Lino (Brocka) and then, Ryan (Cayabyab).”

For the second part of the program, Odette Quesada was honored as a timeless composer and singer. 

Entertainment editor Rito Asilo has written many articles about the "Queen of Philippine Pop Ballads. “You don’t have to know her for her songs to resonate with you,” he thinks. “When you listen or sing along to them, she makes you feel as if she wrote the songs specifically for you.”

Her album, Hopeless Romantic had Don't Know What To Say (Don't Know What To Do), I Need You Back, and Friend of Mine, among others. “It’s really that alluring confluence of nostalgia, the gorgeous melodies, the relatable lyrics of loving, losing and of moving on,” tells Rito. “Kuhang kuha niya ang sensibilidad at puso ng Pinoy music lovers that we are a nation of hopeless romantics (She got the sensibility and heart of the Filipino music lovers).” 

Kuh Ledesma joined the sixth Metro Manila Popular Music Festival when Odette asked her to sing “Till I Met You.” “Ayoko ng mga contests, nakakanerbiyos (I do not like contests, it makes me nervous),” confesses Kuh. “Dinala niya ‘yung kanyang powerful weapon---dinala niya ‘yung Lola niya, (She brought her powerful weapon---her grandmother),” she adds. Kuh cannot say no because she was also close to her grandparent. “Nanalo kami ng first prize (We won first prize),” smiles Kuh.

“I was a lanky, awkward 16-year-old when I joined Metropop a little over 40 years ago while I am still a lanky 60-year-old now standing in front of you,” Odette confesses on stage. “Who would guess that about 43 years later, my songs are still being discovered, sung, and listed to by you folks and your kids eventually your grandkids,” she evokes.

That is what Filipino music is. It travels through time and takes you along with it.

“My career wouldn’t be possible without my Lola Dorothea, without her tsinelas on top of the piano and the constant nagging to practice the piano and her unwavering belief that I should be a singer as well,” admits the 60-year-old ballad singer. “She was my first fan.”

Odette also thanked all the singers she met in the 1980s who sang her songs---Ric Segreto, Kuh Ledesma, Raymond Lauchengco, Sharon Cuneta, Vernie Varga, and Gary Valenciano. “Thank you for singing my songs and making a hit of them,” she ponders. She also praised her old professor National Artist Ryan Cayabyab for giving her the award. “Only I can fail in the music composition class of Mr. Cayabyab and still come a winner,” Odette smiles. “That’s magic right there.