Tropical Depression (band)


Tropical Depression is a Filipino reggae band formed in 1990 by vocalist/guitarist Dominic "Papadom" Gamboa and guitarist Lawrence "Bong Lennon" Eudela. Aside from Gamboa and Eudela, the band's classic line-up was composed of guitarist Lito Crisostomo, bassist Pex Holigores, keyboardists TJ Espinola and Mike Llacar, back-up vocalist Arlene Empalmado, and drummer, percussionist and back-up vocalist Lala Lejeune.
The band was one of the several bands who spearheaded the 1990s Pinoy rock 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 Papadom 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. 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. 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" Ison a.k.a. Ricky Ibatuan Ramos, a taxi driver, was arrested on 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, Mandaluyong and other areas in southern Metro Manila.

2015 reunion

The group reunited in 2015 and its current line-up is composed of original members Bong Lennon Eudela, TJ Espinola and Pex Holigores, together with Brutus Lacano and new frontmen JR Oca and Burn Belacho.