I think Esteman (née Esteban Mateus Williamson) watched too many Fred Astaire musicals as a kid. Esteman’s doo-wop ’40s-inspired and social commentary on “No te metas a mi Facebook” looks like an homage to Federico Fellini’s 1963 movie 8½, and Penelope Cruz-starring remake, Nine (2009), with all the frivolity and self-referential art, pop, musical, and film history footnotes to make your face hurt from smiling. Not to mention, the use of backup dancers, singers and kitch pop-up camera tricks bedazzle on his other video, “El Distractor.”
Esteman makes intelligent pop with an optimistic outlook, and absolute respect and intimacy with the show biz as an ironic, necessary and idyllic escape from global concerns and daily hardships. Like unto Carla Morisson dancing at an Alex Anwander concert, Esteman‘s music is cheerful, catchy and carefully cute. Frankly, Esteman looks like one of Pierre et Gilles art-meets-cinematic cacophony daydreams. If that doesn’t get your art-queer juices flowing, I don’t know what will.
His April released debut album 1er Acto is rapidly rising to the top of all our playlists. Glancing over his past videos, his vast musical repertoire, and his recent participations with the tightly narrative and visually compelling video for “Aquí Estoy Yo” feat. Andrea Echeverri, you can’t help but get lost in the wonderment between sounds and images and the extravagant power of both artists’ performance. Snag the free download of the emotionally gripping duet below. Echeverri’s raspy vocals mesh well against Esteman’s beautiful high notes as they face off at the dinner table over a pastiche treatise on love and gender.
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Download Esteman’s 1er Acto in its entirety below:
