Ely Buendia

Ely Eleandre Basiño Buendia (Tagalog pronunciation: ['ɛli bwɛn'dijɐ]; born November 2, 1970) is a Filipino musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the alternative rock band Eraserheads, with whom he has released seven albums since their founding in 1989. Raised in Naga, Camarines Sur, Buendia attended University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City, where he met drummer Raimund Marasigan, bassist Buddy Zabala, and guitarist Marcus Adoro, with whom he would later form Eraserheads. Their debut album Ultraelectromagneticpop! (1993) ushered in a second wave of Philippine rock bands, and launched Buendia and the band to rock stardom. Buendia was the primary songwriter and creative voice behind the band's early albums, including Ultraelectromagneticpop!, Circus (1994) and Cutterpillow (1995). After releasing the Christmas concept album Fruitcake (1996), the band experimented with electronic and art rock styles for their next albums Sticker Happy (1997), Natin99 (1999), and Carbon Stereoxide (2001). Buendia left Eraserheads in 2002 and the band broke up soon after. They reunited in 2008 and have since made sporadic touring and promotional appearances in the country and overseas. Buendia released his debut solo studio album, Wanted Bedspacer, in 2000. After leaving Eraserheads, he became lead vocalist for the bands The Mongols, Pupil, The Oktaves, and Apartel. Buendia collaborated with rapper Francis M. on the album In Love and War, posthumously released in 2010 after the latter's death. He has also collaborated with Itchyworms and Cheats. Buendia founded the independent record label Offshore Music in 2016, which has represented artists Ena Mori, Pinkmen and Sansette. Buendia released his second solo album, Method Adaptor, in 2024.