12:46pm Friday 29th May 2009
By Flicky Harrison
ESTEBAN from Derbyshire are making a welcome return to Swindon on Thursday to play at The Beehive, Prospect Hill, Old Town, Swindon. The guys got together when they were backpacking in Bali and created their own sound which they call Desert Funk, because it is a mix of pop, rock, latin and African beats. Lead singer Steve Wright said: “It is what happens when you want to dance. It is a journey to the hills of Santiago and the beaches of South East Asia.” It is a free gig. For more details call 01793 523187.
Other members of the band are Liam Ryan on lead guitar, Ricky Houghton on bass and Muel Gonzalez on drums.
Esteban were picked as the Ones To Watch in Total Guitar magazine, and are also getting support from Tom Robinson on BBC 6 Music.
In 2008 Ricky discovered his mother was from Guyana.
He said: "We made contact for the first time since I was born. For a kid raised in Derbyshire, discovering my roots far away in the Third World was amazing.
"It led me to think about what we, as a band, could do with our music to help those less fortunate than us.
"It's not as if we are rolling in dough ourselves, but I reckon we can make a small difference in people's lives through music."
It was this that sparked off the band's idea of working with Plan UK, an organisation which runs community development projects covering education, sanitation and health programmes in deprived communities in South America.
Proceeds from the band's record sales, including their current offering, Shanty Mansion, go directly to these projects.
"The power of music and a little bit of cash go far in these tough economic times, " said Ricky.
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