Biography

Maria Socorro "Kuh" Hashim Ledesma (born March 16, 1955) is a Filipino singer and actress. Regarded as “OPM's Pop Chanteuse”, she is noted for her "masterful" and "rich distinct vocal style."With a career spanning over 40 years, Ledesma is recognized as one of Asia's most successful pop singers. She has already performed in over 1,000 concerts in various parts of the world. She was notably one of the first artists to be called a "diva" in the entertainment industry. She has since been honored with numerous accolades including the prestigious 'Pilita Corrales Lifetime Achievement Award' at the 12th PMPC Star Awards For Music, 'Singer of the Year' at the 2022 Gawad Banyuhay Awards, the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at the 2020 Aliw Awards and 'Dangal ng Musikang Pilipino Award' at the 25th Awit Awards for her significant contribution to Philippine music industry.

In 1989, Ledesma became the first Filipino artist to win the coveted Salem Music Award. In 1997 she released her US debut album Precious, which contains songs penned by Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald. The album became a Top 20 hit on the US Billboard Jazz charts. Renowned American music database, AllMusic, hailed Ledesma as one of the best singers in the Philippines. She is the founder of Music Museum, one of the most popular concert venues in the country. It has since hosted concerts of Sarah Geronimo, Lea Salonga and Regine Velasquez.