Roberto Monteiro Bastos (1987) was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He began his classical guitar studies at the age of 16. There, he earned a Higher Degree in Guitar Pedagogy at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. There, he learned flamenco guitar with the maestro Mara Lúcia Ribeiro, one of the first flamenco guitarists in Brazil, a disciple of maestro Entri of Caño Roto (a neighborhood in Madrid known as a vibrant talent hub for Gypsy musicians).
From that point on, he made a drastic change in his life and dedicated himself entirely to flamenco, arriving in Madrid for the first time at the age of 24. After a year and a half in Japan, working as a flamenco guitarist, he returned to Brazil, accompanying various renowned dancers such as Carmen la Talegona, Domingo Ortega, and Inmaculada Ortega.
At the age of 27, he settled in Madrid, completing his flamenco guitar studies at the Arturo Soria Professional Conservatory. He worked with Alejandro Molinero’s Molinero Company in the show ADM.
He currently works as artistic director alongside the flamenco dancer Elena Ollero at the tablao Sala Temple in Madrid, as a guitarist in various tablaos in Madrid (La Cueva de Lola, Café Zyriab, Cardamomo, El Cortijo, etc.), accompanying renowned singers from the Spanish pop scene such as Lola Indigo and Vicente Navarro, and as a guitarist in the company Raíces.
Monteiro Bastos also collaborates with versatile Spanish vocalist Desiré Paredes, who was selected in 2025 to participate in the influential Nuevos Territorios series sponsored by the SGAE Foundation.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.