Tropical Depression is a
Filipino reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
band formed in 1987 by vocalist and guitarist Dominic "Papadom" Gamboa (1965-2013) and guitarist Lawrence "Bonglennon" Eudela. The band went into the mainstream in 1990. Aside from Gamboa and Eudela, the band's notable line-up was composed of guitarist Lito Crisostomo, bassist Pex Holigores, keyboardists TJ Espinola and Mike Llacar, back-up vocalists Arlene Empalmado and Lala Lejeune, and drummer Brutus Lacano.
The band was one of the several bands who spearheaded the 1990s
Pinoy rock
Pinoy rock, or Filipino rock, is the brand of rock music produced in the Philippines or by Filipino people, Filipinos. It has become as diverse as the rock music genre itself, and bands adopting this style are now further classified under more s ...
explosion and popularized the songs "Kapayapaan", "Bilog Na Naman ang Buwan" and "Alaala".
Hiatus
The group went into hiatus in 2013 following the death of original lead vocalist Dominic Gamboa. Gamboa died a day before his 48th birthday in December 2013. The wake of his burial was held private as per his family's request. The cause of death was said to be due to
kidney failure
Kidney failure, also known as renal failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney fa ...
. On February 12, 2016, Gamboa's widow Maria Amparo Concepcion "Teng" Santaromana-Gamboa, 50, was found dead with a gunshot wound in the head along Kalayaan Avenue,
Makati
Makati ( ; ), officially the City of Makati (), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines, known for being one of the leading financial centers in the country. As of 2013, the city has the highest concent ...
. Santaromana-Gamboa, who worked in a
business process outsourcing company in Makati, was believed to be killed minutes after she left her office at 2:20 AM on February 10. She was declared missing the following day. Police said that prior to her death, Santaromana-Gamboa was able to send a text message to her son informing him that she was on her way home aboard a taxicab. The primary suspect Nitro "Zenki" Agustin Ison a.k.a. Ricky Ibatuan Ramos, a taxi driver, was arrested in April 2016. The motive of the killing was later identified to be a robbery. Ison was also charged with other criminal cases in connection with at least seven cases of car thefts, seven cases of robberies using stolen taxicabs, three homicide cases and at least three rape cases in
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
,
Mandaluyong
Mandaluyong ( ; ), officially the City of Mandaluyong (, ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly-urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popula ...
and other areas in southern Metro Manila.
Reunion
The group reunited in 2015 with a new line-up composed of original members Bonglennon Eudela (guitar), TJ Espinola (keyboards) and Pex Holigores (bass), Brutus Lacano (drums), together with new frontmen JR Oca (vocals) and Burn Belacho (vocals, guitars & hegalong).
;2024–present lineup
* Bonglennon Eudela - guitars, vocals, arrangement
* Pex Holigores - bass, vocals
* TJ Espinola - keyboards
* Jaydee Abugan - drums
* Macky dela Cuesta - keyboards
* Cholo Miguel Famisan - vocals
* Bunny Liwanag - vocals
Discography
Studio albums
Compilation album
*''Alert Level - The Album'' - released in 1993
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tropical Depression (band)
Musical groups established in 1987
Filipino reggae musical groups