Mestre Roberto Barreto Pereira, known in the Capoeira world as Mestre Roberto Satanás, was born on December 23, 1943, in Salvador, Bahia, the son of Alexandre Pereira and Magnolia Barreto Pereira. He is remembered as a talented capoeirista, musician, and later as a successful professional and martial artist who bridged the worlds of Afro-Brazilian tradition and modern discipline.

Roberto began training Capoeira Angola in the early 1960s under Mestre Pastinha at the historic academy in Pelourinho. His dedication and skill quickly distinguished him among his peers, earning him a diploma directly from Mestre Pastinha on March 31, 1963. During this formative decade, he represented Bahia’s capoeira scene in major cultural events across Brazil.

In 1961, he participated in the television show Grande Gincana Kibon in Rio de Janeiro, performing alongside other Bahian capoeiristas and helping introduce Capoeira Angola to wider audiences. Two years later, in 1964, he took part in the National Folk Congress in Belo Horizonte, representing Bahia together with Mestre Pastinha, João Grande, Gildo Alfinete, and other notable angoleiros.

In 1966, Mestre Satanás joined Mestre Pastinha and a select group of Bahian capoeiristas on a historic trip to Dakar, Senegal, where they presented Capoeira Angola during the First World Festival of Black Arts. This event marked one of the first international appearances of Capoeira as an Afro-Brazilian art form, symbolizing cultural pride and resilience.

Upon returning to Brazil, Roberto chose to continue his studies and graduated in architecture, later becoming a recognized karate master and professional in engineering and urban development. Though he gradually moved away from public capoeira practice, his early contributions during Capoeira Angola’s cultural revival remain a vital part of its history.

In 1970, he co-founded ARKA Empreendimentos Ltd., and by 2014 he was serving as President of the Bidding Committee of DERBA (Bahia’s Department of Transportation Infrastructure), showing his continued leadership and influence in professional spheres.

Respected by fellow mestres such as Gildo Alfinete and João Grande, Mestre Satanás is often remembered for his disciplined character, elegant movements, and his role in the 1960s golden generation of Mestre Pastinha’s students — a group that carried the Angola legacy beyond the walls of Pelourinho and into the international stage.